THE TENSION: Troops in Iraq Kill Enemy Fighters, Detain Suspects, Seize Weapons

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq killed enemy fighters, detained terrorism suspects and found illegal weapons stockpiles in operations over the last three days, military officials reported.

Coalition forces conducted operations spanning central and northwestern Iraq today, killing two enemy fighters and detaining eight suspected terrorists while targeting al-Qaida networks.

In Mosul, coalition forces netted an alleged terrorist leader and a suspected associate. The alleged leader is believed to oversee kidnappings, assassinations and extortion operations in the city, officials said.

Coalition forces also targeted a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitator near Ribat, a town along the Euphrates River near the Iraq-Syria border. The man barricaded himself in a room with a weapon. Perceiving hostile intent, coalition forces engaged and killed him. Three associates were detained.

Also today, coalition forces targeted the alleged leader of an al-Qaida in Iraq cell in Shargat. Two people complied when the force called for occupants of a building to surrender, but one man refused to follow coalition forces' instructions. Perceiving hostile intent from the man, coalition forces engaged and killed him. Coalition forces later found a suicide vest on the roof and an underground tunnel outside the building.

In operations yesterday:

A precision operation in Baghdad led coalition forces to capture a man suspected of being a leader of several al-Qaida in Iraq cells in the southern area of the city. The suspect is believed to be responsible for bombings, kidnappings and attacks against coalition forces.

Coalition forces in Baghdad detained a man suspected of involvement in the al-Qaida propaganda network.

Soldiers working with Iraqi security forces detained seven suspected criminals during a search in Baghdad’s Rashid district.

In two operations, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a rocket rigged as a roadside bomb, as well as a rocket-propelled grenade round and an artillery round. An explosive ordnance disposal team responded to handle the explosive device.

Soldiers detained a suspected criminal in the Hadar community. The patrol returned with the suspect to a combat outpost for further questioning.

In three separate operations, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized rocket-propelled grenades, a machine gun, two containers of propellant, various rounds, command wires, anti-tank mines, rockets and mortar rounds.

In operations July 1:

While on patrol near the city of Karmah, an Iraqi quick-reaction force discovered a substantial weapons cache that contained various sized mortars, rounds, projectiles, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, mortar fillings, mortar stabilizing fins, and a hand grenade.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized eight weapons caches in separate operations. The caches contained 80 cans of anti-aircraft rounds, rockets, rocket tubes and several tubes of various sizes, a rocket-propelled-grenade round, mortar rounds, a machine gun, AK-47 assault rifle magazines, a pistol belt, a bayonet, bomb-making materials, grenades, artillery rounds, a primer connected to a power sources, and a license plate.

Iraqi National Police seized a cache inside a mosque in the New Baghdad security district of eastern Baghdad. They found artillery rounds, TNT, a license plate, and two steel barriers in the Al-Sadrayn Mosque. No coalition forces were present inside the mosque, officials said.