Coalition, Iraqi Security Forces, citizens continue progress against terrorists
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Force-Iraq reports Iraqi citizens increasingly provide information to aid in eliminating terrorists from Iraq.
“Despite some high-profile enemy attacks this week, the Coalition continued to strengthen its partnership with its Iraqi counterparts,” said Col. Brian Stephenson, Multinational Corps-Iraq chief of operations.
“The Iraqi Government and its Security Forces demonstrated their initiative to lead the counter-insurgency fight by conducting a raid on the Anti-Iraqi Force held in the Baghdad suburb of Salman Pak and re-establishing the police station and permanent police presence.”
In the past week citizen tips aided coalition forces in uncovering four major weapons caches. The caches contained more than 2.5 million anti-aircraft rounds, 900 mortar rounds, two 250-pound Russian made bombs, 75 anti-tank mines and 225 pounds of TNT, as well as hundreds of hand grenades, rocket propelled grenades, ammunition and bomb making materials.
Conducting more than 2,500 patrols across Iraq, Coalition and ISF forces have detained hundreds of terrorists suspected of being connected to weapons caches and other terrorist activities.
April 18 in Kirkuk, a terrorist cell leader and 12 others were detained for leading a local cell and financing attacks against ISF and Coalition forces.
April 19 in Tikrit, Coalition forces working with Ministry of Interior Police commandos, detained two individuals suspected of trafficking weapons and financing attacks in the Samarra area.
April 20, 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers arrested two terrorists in Baghdad suspected of plotting and carrying out numerous murders of Iraqi civilians employed on Coalition forward operating bases. Northeast of Baghdad, security forces raided a terrorist safe house which contained several thousand kilograms of bomb-making materials. In Northern Iraq, 42 suspected terrorists were detained.
April 23, the 3rd Infantry Division apprehended six terrorists suspected of being involved in Thursday’s fatal downing of a Mi-8 helicopter and murder of the only crash survivor.
Offensive operations across the Corps resulted in more than 30 raids and 20 searches. 17 weapons caches were uncovered, 30 IEDs were destroyed and more than 260 suspected terrorists were detained.
“If those terrorists who are building IEDs and attacking innocent civilians and security forces would spend one hundredth of their energy on building a free and peaceful Iraq, this country would quickly become a leader in this part of the world,” said Col. Bill Buckner, MNC-I spokesman.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MULTI-NATIONAL CORPS-IRAQ,
BY E-MAIL AT MNCI-PAO-VICTORYMAINJOC@IRAQ.CENTCOM.MIL.
Release #050425f
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