Military

Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers nab 78 terror suspects

October 4, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, Oct. 4, 2005) -- Iraqi security forces and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers captured 78 suspected terrorists and seized eight weapons caches during operations throughout the city, from Sept. 28 to 30.

Much of the information leading to the captures was based on tips from Iraqi citizens. During one dismounted patrol on Sept. 28, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers were approached by an Iraqi citizen who told them about a large weapons cache in the Radwiniyah District of west Baghdad.

When the Soldiers investigated, they found 175 sticks of dynamite; 109 grenades; 149 rockets, mortar and artillery rounds; two rocket launchers; 46 anti-personnel mines and 20 pounds of TNT. The cache also contained 28 rocket-propelled grenades, 23 fragmentation grenades, one missile, one machine gun with 1,000 rounds of ammunition and bomb-making materials.

In other raids in the city, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers seized nine missiles, seven rocket launchers, 20 rockets, 89 mortar rounds, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers and more than 300 rocket-propelled grenades. Additionally, the Soldiers uncovered 119 hand-grenades and bomb-making materials, including plastics explosives, detonation cord, remote-controlled detonation devices, a bomb-building instruction book, machine guns, rifles, pistols and ammunition.

While the raids were in progress, Iraqi and coalition forces continued to man traffic control points throughout the city to provide security for the citizens. After setting up an impromptu control point in northeast Baghdad, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers stopped and searched four suspicious vehicles around 11:55 p.m. Sept. 29. They discovered terrorist propaganda, 10 Iraqi Police badges and six Iraqi police-issue Glock pistols. The Soldiers detained 12 terror suspects in the cars.

About 10 minutes later, another vehicle was stopped at the same checkpoint and the four occupants in the car were found with Iraqi government badges, three AK-47 assault rifles and one Glock pistol. Iraqi Police took the four suspects into custody for questioning.

At 12:30 a.m. Sept. 30, a Task Force Baghdad patrol observed two suspected terrorists placing a roadside bomb on a highway south of Baghdad. The Soldiers fired on the suspects and they fled. The area was cordoned off and an explosive ordnance disposal team safely destroyed the bomb.

(David Vergun compiled this article from a Multi-National Force -Iraq press release)