OIF Summary; Dec. 4, 2008: Troops in Iraq Kill 4, Capture 33 Terror Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2008 -- Coalition forces dealt a heavy blow to al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist networks during multiple operations throughout Iraq today and yesterday, killing four terrorists and detaining 33 suspects, military officials said.

Most of the actions took place when combined coalition and Iraqi forces killed four armed insurgents and detained 19 others in three operations in Kirkuk yesterday. The operations targeted a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq courier believed to conspire directly with al-Qaida in Iraq leadership in the Tamim province.

The four men who were killed were armed and moved aggressively at the troops. Perceiving hostile intent, the soldiers fired on the men, killing them. Three suspects were detained at one location, and 16 were detained at another.

Elsewhere, coalition forces continued to disrupt al-Qaida in Iraq communication networks during two related operations today and yesterday near Lake Thar Thar, about 60 miles northwest of Baghdad. Five suspects alleged to be associates of an al-Qaida in Iraq courier were detained.

In other operations today in Iraq:

• In Mosul, coalition forces targeted an al-Qaida in Iraq operative assessed to have connections to local terrorist leaders and detained one suspect.

• Coalition forces disrupted al-Qaida in Iraq bomb networks with four operations. In Abu Ghraib, about 16 miles west of Baghdad, forces detained one suspect believed to be associated with an area car bomb operative.

• An operation in Baghdad targeting a wanted man associated with area suicide bombings netted two suspects.

• Coalition and Iraqi forces detained two suspected associates of a man wanted in car bombings and weapons smuggling in the Khurmal area, about 100 miles southeast of Kirkuk.

• In Mosul, two suspects were detained during an operation targeting an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq suicide bomber facilitator.

• U.S. soldiers, partnered with Iraqi National Police, captured a suspected Iranian-backed terrorist wanted for murder in southern Baghdad's Rashid district.

Yesterday, coalition and Iraqi security forces seized several large weapons caches in and around Baghdad that included 75 60 mm mortars, 21 81 mm mortars, six 130 mm artillery rounds, four 107 mm rockets, 130 grenades, 2,000 rounds of 7.62 mm and 39 mm ammunition, 26 57 mm projectiles, 22 high-explosive anti-tank grenades, 37 RPG rounds, seven 60 mm mortars, a rocket-propelled grenade, a 20-pound bag of unknown stick propellant and 20 projectile fuses.

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

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