THE TENSION: OIF Summary; Nov. 3, 2008: Troops Capture 2 Dozen Terrorist Suspects in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq captured 24 suspected terrorist operatives in three days of operations, military officials reported today.

The operations targeted al-Qaida in Iraq in the central and northern regions of the country, mostly today and yesterday, officials said.

In a series of coordinated operations in Mosul today, coalition troops degraded al-Qaida in Iraq's bomb network, capturing a man who intelligence reports suggest oversees the movement of bomb-making materials into the city, officials said. The suspect is believed to deal directly with senior bomb-making leaders in the region. Eleven others suspects were detained during the operations.

Also today, troops captured a man believed to have connections to multiple al-Qaida in Iraq contacts in the region, officials said. Four additional suspects believed to be his associates were detained for further questioning. Troops discovered multiple rifles and magazines along with bomb-making materials at the site.

Troops operating in Amariyah, about 33 miles southwest of Baghdad, captured a man yesterday who is suspected of aiding in car- and roadside-bomb attacks in the area. The man, who surrendered, is believed to have connections to al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the region, officials said.

Also yesterday, coalition troops detained a terrorist suspect in Mosul and another in Beiji, about 100 miles south of the city, they said.

In other recent operations:

Coalition and Iraqi security forces detained three suspected terrorists Nov. 1 in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district and seized a 57 mm warhead, three mortar fuses, a rocket fuse, three blocks of plastic explosives and three grenade fuses.

Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, captured a terrorist suspect yesterday in southern Baghdad’s Aamel community.

Coalition and Iraqi forces found multiple weapons caches yesterday in Baghdad that included four rocket motors, 19 flares, two hand grenades, a bag of AK-47 assault rifle ammunition, a 120 mm high-explosive mortar round, 15 57 mm anti-aircraft projectiles, a can of 14.5 heavy machine gun rounds, three 82 mm mortars, a 73 mm high-explosive projectile, three 100 mm projectiles, two rocket motors and Lebanese currency.