OIF Summary, March 3, 2009: Troops in Iraq Seize Weapons, Dismantle Bomb

U.S. paratroopers assigned to and Iraqi Army soldiers check their surroundings in an alley during Operation Sway Sway, a combined operation targeting historical weapon caches locations and signs of insurgent activity in the Rusafa district of eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Feb. 28, 2009. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. James Selesnick.)

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2009 -- U.S. and Iraqi forces deterred several potentially deadly incidents in recent days by confiscating two large weapons caches and dismantling a homemade bomb, military officials reported.

At least one cache was discovered with the help of an Iraqi civilian who led a combined Iraqi police and U.S. Army patrol Feb. 28 to a large cache west of Samarra.

The cache contained more than 200 mortar rounds and about 1,500 pounds of explosives, which were safely disposed of by explosive ordnance technicians.

A joint patrol of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers seized another cache yesterday during a patrol in the Mumbar Garhat district of Kirkuk province. The cache consisted of launchers, 120 mm shells, 60 mm mortars and firing systems, machine-gun rounds, improvised mortar tubes, blasting caps and several other supporting items. A joint U.S. and Iraqi army team safely disposed of the cache.

Also yesterday, Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a homemade bomb while on patrol west of Baghdad. The troops immediately cordoned off the area to prevent injuries, and safely disposed of the bomb.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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