THE TENSION: OIF Summary; Dec. 18, 2008: Troops Nab Suspects, Thwart al-Qaida in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces killed three enemy fighters and captured 24 suspected terrorists during operations in Iraq in the past three days, military officials reported.

In operations today:

Coalition forces in Baghdad captured a wanted man and two of his associates, all of whom are believed to support the terrorist group in Anbar province. The man identified himself to forces during the operation.

Southeast of Mosul, coalition forces captured a man wanted for bringing foreign terrorists into the country, and also detained two other suspects.

Two suspects were detained during an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq military operative in Hammam al Alil, southeast of Mosul.

In operations yesterday:

Troops captured a wanted man and one of his associates in Tikrit, about a 100 miles north of Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be a military cell leader in the Samarra area.

Coalition troops detained two suspects in al-Qaida in Iraq’s leadership in Baghdad, and two more suspected terrorists who are believed to provide administrative and logistical work for the group in Mosul.

Iraqi special forces killed three suspects and captured four others after coming under hostile fire northwest of Baghdad. The seven are believed to be responsible for previous attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi officials. The troops seized several weapons, homemade explosives, bulletproof vests and documents from the site.

Iraqi soldiers seized a large weapons cache north of Baghdad that included 133 57 mm rockets, a 120 mm mortar system, a 60 mm mortar system, two 120 mm rockets, a 107 mm rocket, two mortar sights, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, eight RPG rounds, two rifles, a flare gun, four machine guns, 12 AK-47 magazines, 24 hand grenades, 30 flare rounds, two bags of assorted ammunition and an assortment of homemade bomb components.