Forces in Iraq Kill 4, Detain Dozens

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2008 -- Coalition forces killed four enemy fighters and detained dozens of suspected terrorists in recent operations, military officials said.

The leader of an Iranian-backed “special group” surrendered to coalition forces today in Hayy, about 190 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces raided the presumed residence of the special group leader, who’s suspected of directing and ordering attacks against coalition forces in Wasit province, as well as attacks and kidnappings against civil authorities there. The man also is suspected of smuggling Iranian weapons -- specifically, Katyusha rockets -- into Baghdad.

In a separate operation in Hayy today, coalition forces raided the residence of another wanted special groups operative. The suspect attempted to flee, but coalition forces were able to track him, and he eventually surrendered.

In other news from Iraq, coalition forces captured 10 wanted men and 22 other suspects involved in al-Qaida in Iraq’s bombing networks in Mosul, Baghdad and the Tigris River valley yesterday and today.

Coalition forces detained more than 20 suspected terrorists believed to be responsible for car-bomb attacks and weapons smuggling, and killed four others June 4 during an operation targeting a major al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist network along the Tigris River valley in the western portion of the Tamim province.

In separate June 4 operations, Iraqi soldiers uncovered several weapons caches in Baghdad’s Sadr City district. The caches contained rocket-propelled grenades, explosives designed to pierce armor, machine guns, AK-47 rifles, AK-47 magazines, various-sized rounds, mortar fuses, two ski masks and special groups propaganda.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a cache and detained five suspects in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad on June 3-4.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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