Military

Locals Lead Marines to Insurgent, Weapons

Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq -- Separate tips from two Iraqi men helped Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit capture a suspected insurgent and uncover a weapons stockpile south of Baghdad on Jan. 25.

Marines were informed by a man near Haswah that another resident of the area had been threatening violence against local Iraqis and Multi-National Forces. The Marines proceeded to the house, where they found the suspect, a sniper rifle and a large supply of ammunition.

Elsewhere, an Iraqi flagged down Marines patrolling southwest of Musayyib and alerted them to a nearby cache of hidden weapons. The Marines followed the man to the site, where they found 75 high-explosive projectiles ranging in size from 90 mm to 152 mm, four anti-personnel mines, nine recoilless rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade.

Information provided by local citizens has proved instrumental in joint efforts by U.S. and Iraqi forces to disrupt insurgent activity in northern Babil Province.
   

Release #050126a