NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894
September 11, 2004
Release Number: 04-09-30
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HUGE ILLEGAL WEAPONS CACHE FOUND IN AL-SADR'S NAJAF OFFICE
BAGHDAD - The Iraqi Police and the Iraqi Intervention Force found hundreds of illegal weapons hidden in secret rooms in Muqtada al-Sadr's Najaf office Thursday.
As part of their mission to clear the city of armed Mehdi Militia and remove weapons and ammunition caches, the Iraqi Security Forces conducted a search of al-Sadr's office, close to the Imam Ali shrine. During the search, which took place with the Najaf governor's approval, Iraqi troops noticed fresh plaster on a wall in al-Sadr's office.
After breaking through the false wall, the soldiers found a secret hallway and rooms filled with mortars, rockets, machine guns, and other weapons illegally hidden from authorities when the militia vacated the city.
Included in the secret cache the Iraqi Police, IIF and Iraqi National Guard found more than 10 mortar tubes (including heavy mortars), more than 145 mortar rounds, a dozen rockets, numerous anti-tank weapons including RPG launchers, a heavy machine gun, an anti-aircraft gun, automatic rifles, mines, various other explosives and communications equipment.
NOTE: The information contained in this press release is being released by the Multi-National Force-Iraq at the request of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. All queries regarding this press release should be directed to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.
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