OIF Summary; Dec. 31, 2008: Iraqi Civilians Lead Troops to Bombs

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2008 -- The “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group led coalition troops to their biggest operations in recent days – disarming a bomb at a security checkpoint and finding one of their largest weapons caches to date, military officials reported.

Coalition forces responded to a Sons of Iraq checkpoint to disarm a roadside bomb Dec. 29 in Baghdad's Rashid district. An explosive ordnance disposal unit disarmed the bomb.

Tips from Sons of Iraq members in the Tikrit area led soldiers to several large weapons caches Dec. 29, one of which is the largest discovered since 25th Infantry Division units began arriving in Salahuddin province in November, officials said

In a cache southwest of Samarra, troops found 153 artillery rounds, 130 mortar rounds, 81 rocket rounds, 21 rocket mortars and 36 empty rounds of various munitions that could be used to make homemade bombs.

In another large weapons cache southwest of Samarra, troops found more than 250 munitions, including mortar rounds, high-explosive rounds and propellant charges.

All of the weapons were safely destroyed by explosive ordnance disposal personnel.

Also on Dec. 29, coalition and Iraqi soldiers confiscated weapons in the Saydiyah and Jihad communities that included six AK-47 assault rifles, three 60 mm mortar rounds and a rocket.

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

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