Troops Nab Suspects, Seize Weapons Across Iraq

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces detained several suspected terrorists and found weapons during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said.

Just north of Baghdad today, U.S. troops captured an alleged Iranian-trained “Special Groups” financier and five suspected Special Groups criminals during operations. The alleged financier is believed to be responsible for supporting networks and coordinating attacks throughout the city, officials said.

In operations yesterday, coalition troops detained several suspected terrorists during separate operations in Baghdad, Mosul and Beiji, officials said.

• Coalition troops captured a suspected terrorist in Beiji and another five others just north of the city. The suspect in Beiji reportedly is associated with senior al-Qaida officials and a suicide-bombing network in northern Iraq. The five other suspects are believed to be connected to a bomb builder in Mosul, officials said.

• In Mosul, four suspected terrorists were detained during an operation targeting an al-Qaida leader there, officials said.

• In Baghdad, U.S. troops from 10th Mountain Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team captured two suspected al-Qaida members. The suspects reportedly are responsible for coordinating numerous bombing attacks, including suicide bombings, car bombings and roadside-bombing attacks, throughout Baghdad, officials said.

In operations Aug. 6, a Sunni Muslim “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group and coalition forces discovered weapons during a patrol in the Jazeera Desert west of Samarra. They found more than 900 pounds of nitrate and 100 pounds of propellant explosives with four propane tanks, officials said.

Also Aug. 6, coalition and Iraqi forces in Baghdad found a weapons cache and an emplaced roadside bomb. The cache consisted of six various assault rifles and several magazines with ammunition. The roadside bomb was discovered during an Iraqi police patrol in Baghdad’s Risalah community.

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

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