US Troops Capture Suspected Bomber in Baghdad Raid

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2008 -- U.S. soldiers in Baghdad today detained a suspect linked to roadside-bomb attacks against coalition forces during an operation in the city’s Risalah sector, military officials said.

The detainee was taken to a coalition base for questioning.

In yesterday’s operations:

• U.S. soldiers in Baghdad found an explosive device on the side of a road in Baghdad’s Jazair community. An explosive ordnance team disposed of the bomb.

• U.S. soldiers patrolling Baghdad’s East Rashid sector seized two AK-47 rifles, four magazines and 246 7.62 mm rounds.

• U.S. soldiers found an improvised explosive device-making workshop in Baghdad’s East Rashid neighborhood. The workshop contained: radios, batteries, power sources, garage door openers, circuit boards, programmers, a cable, computer screens, tools, wire, plastic bags, a global positioning system device, electrical components, documents, identification cards, and propaganda tapes.

• “Sons of Iraq” citizen volunteers in Baghdad found a weapons cache consisting of three rockets and recoilless-rifle ammunition.

• Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad seized a rocket-propelled grenade, three grenade nose cones, six mortar rounds, eight anti-tank mines, 10 grenades, three flares, 500 machine-gun rounds, detonation cord, a container of bolts, and a license plate.

• Iraqi police posted in Baghdad’s East Rashid sector found a 107 mm rocket and 15 mortar rounds.

• U.S. soldiers patrolling the Mansour area of Baghdad found 500 rounds of ammunition, a body armor vest, and an AK-47 rifle.

• Responding to a tip, U.S. soldiers seized a weapons cache in Baghdad and also discovered a stockpile of improvised explosive device-making materials located inside a store near the city’s Doura community market. Later, a Sons of Iraq member turned in a 155 mm artillery round to U.S. soldiers patrolling the Karb De Gla community.

In July 22 operations:

• In Mosul, Iraqi special operations forces detained eight suspected members of the Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaida in Iraq. Two other suspects also were detained during the operation.

• In Rutbah, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics unit detained a suspected terrorist linked to suicide and improvised-explosive-device attacks against Iraqi police. The detainee also is believed to have housed the woman who conducted the May suicide attack at an office in Rutbah. Four other suspects also were detained during the operation.

• In Zaidon, the Fallujah special weapons and tactics team detained four suspected weapons dealers believed to be supplying criminals in the area.

• In Baghdad, an Iraqi emergency response unit detained four suspected al-Qaida terrorists. The detainees are linked to attacks against Iraqi police and coalition forces. The suspects also are tied to improvised-explosive-device attacks, assassinations, sectarian violence, and displacement and intimidation of local Iraqis.

• In Jisr Diyala, Iraqi special operations troops detained a suspected Iranian-trained “special groups” leader and two other suspects. The detainees are implicated in the killings of local Iraqis and are suspected of plotting to attack coalition bases in the area.

In July 21 operations, An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team detained two suspected special groups criminals during an operation in Kut. The detainees are linked to roadside-bomb and explosively formed projectile attacks against Iraqi and coalition security forces.

Also July 21, an Iraqi emergency response unit uncovered a suspected special groups weapons cache in Baghdad. The cache contained sniper rifles, machine guns, rockets, several thousand rounds of ammunition, rocket-propelled-grenade launchers and warheads, homemade explosive materials, and various bomb-making materials.

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

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