Stepping up the Pressure on the Insurgents
Mahmudiyah, Iraq - In pre-dawn hours of Jan. 2, several thousand Soldiers and Marines from the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team initiated Operation River Walk, increasing the pressure on insurgents who intimidate the residents in Northern Babil and threaten to disrupt fair elections scheduled later this month.
In the air and on the ground Troopers from the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry; 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, Delta, 9th Cavalry Brigade Recon Troop, and Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, moved into positions throughout Northern Babil to search for insurgents operating in the area.
"The residents want peace and security," said Lt. Col. Matt Kaufman, executive officer, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "The insurgents operating in this area will not succeed in their attempts to instill violence among the people of this area. We will ensure that the citizens of south Baghdad are given the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming national elections."
Soldiers and Marines are conducting cordon and knock as well as cordon and search operations in many areas of North Babil.
Eighteen individuals suspected of insurgent activities were detained and several weapons caches were discovered.
A cache located in a cemetery included:
300 RPK Rounds
144 AP .50 Cal rounds
75 rocket boosters
32 grenade fuses
25 x130mm artillery rounds
16 rocket propelled grenade rounds
11 x 82mm mortar fuses
10 RPG Fuses
Eight 120mm rockets
Three 82mm mortars
Three 60mm mortar rounds
Two tank Sabot rounds
One RPG Booster
An additional cache containing; 200 RPK rounds, 60mm mortar rounds, 82mm rounds, 45 rpg-7 rounds, four recoilless rifle rounds was consolidated and destroyed by combat engineers.
A separate cache discovered included:
One million Dinar
70,000 7.62mm rounds
US$40,000
800 x 9mm rounds
103 blasting caps
49 x 60mm mortar rounds
31 rocket propelled grenade rounds
25 x 120mm recoilless rifle rounds
25 x 75mm recoilless rifle rounds
10 AK-47's
10 pistols
six additional various rifles
one MP-5 sub machine gun
One flare gun
One complete 60mm mortar system
One night optic
Binoculars
Weapons magazines
Myriad of electronic equipment
An intelligence based search of a suspected improvised explosive device-makers home netted 20 rocket propelled-grenade rounds, eight rifles, five pistols, a 60 mm mortar tube, and assorted electrical equipment pieces.
The operation continues.
Release #050102o
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