Coalition forces detained a suspected militant yesterday during a joint U.S./Afghan security-force operation to disrupt roadside bombings in Afghanistan’s Khowst province, military officials reported.
The person in custody is linked to several attacks on coalition forces. He was detained during a search of compounds in the province’s Gorbuz District.
In other news, 12 suspected militants were detained during two separate operations in Khowst and Nimroz provinces April 16.
In the district of Tani in Khowst province, Afghan and coalition forces detained two militants linked to foreign fighters and roadside bomb operations. Five of their associates, also suspected of having links to foreign fighters and IED operations, also were detained. Several weapons, ammunition, an ammunition vest and bomb-making components were confiscated and destroyed.
In a separate operation in the district of Kashroad in Nimroz province, coalition forces searched multiple compounds for a wanted Taliban commander and detained five suspected militants linked to the suspect.
Also, an Afghan commando unit captured a suspected Taliban leader during an April 14 search operation southeast of Shembaut Village in Khowst province. The detainee is a suspected Taliban member linked to attacks on Afghan security forces. He also is linked to providing housing and intelligence for use by suicide bombers. Afghan citizens tipped off U.S. and Afghan forces on the location of the suspected militant.
In other news, a local citizen led Afghan and U.S. security forces to a weapons cache hidden inside a cave in northern Afghanistan April 13.
The entrance to the cave was covered up by a deep layer of dirt, according to a U.S. soldier who participated in the mission. The cave held more than 300 pieces of ammunition in nearly pristine condition.
The Afghan tipster will receive a monetary reward, as part of the Small Rewards Program.
About $65,000 in reward monies has been paid to individuals who’ve provided information resulting in locating and destroying weapons caches throughout Afghanistan. More than 7,000 enemy weapon systems, including rocket-propelled grenades, land mines, rifles and various types of ammunitions have been confiscated as a result of the program.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Iraqi Army Soldiers Discover Large Cache with Iranian-Marked Weapons
The Iraqi Army discovered a large weapons and munitions cache in a house located in the Al Hyyaniyah area of Basra April 19.
Soldiers from the 1st Iraqi Army discovered the cache during the search phase of Operation Charge of the Knights. The cache consisted of a large number of weaponry with Iranian markings.
The cache included a 240 mm high-explosive war-head and approximately 160 mortars. Some of which were less than 12 months old.
The cache also contained approximately 25 artillery shells, more than 20 complete improvised explosive devices, large quantities of IED components, several explosively formed projectiles and dozens of grenades and fuses. Also included was more than 20 blocks of plastic explosives, homemade anti-personnel mines packed with ball bearings, hundreds of meters of detonation cord, improvised rocket launching rails, and thousands of rounds of small-arms ammunition.
Operation Charge of the Knights is ongoing with the Iraqi Army working in conjunction with the Iraqi Police to maintain pressure on Special Groups and criminal elements by denying them sanctuaries and safe havens through Basra and Iraq.
“Operation Charge of the Knights has been an Iraqi planned and executed operation from the very start,” said Lt. Col. Neil Harper, deputy public affairs officer for Multi-National Corps - Iraq. “The Iraqi Army demonstrated their capability to protect the people of Basra against Special Groups and criminal elements that are ignoring the rule of law.
“The success in finding these large caches was also due in part by numerous tips from concerned local Iraqis. This is another great example of Iraqis dealing with their own issues, and they should be admired for their bravery,” Harper said.
Soldiers from the 1st Iraqi Army discovered the cache during the search phase of Operation Charge of the Knights. The cache consisted of a large number of weaponry with Iranian markings.
The cache included a 240 mm high-explosive war-head and approximately 160 mortars. Some of which were less than 12 months old.
The cache also contained approximately 25 artillery shells, more than 20 complete improvised explosive devices, large quantities of IED components, several explosively formed projectiles and dozens of grenades and fuses. Also included was more than 20 blocks of plastic explosives, homemade anti-personnel mines packed with ball bearings, hundreds of meters of detonation cord, improvised rocket launching rails, and thousands of rounds of small-arms ammunition.
Operation Charge of the Knights is ongoing with the Iraqi Army working in conjunction with the Iraqi Police to maintain pressure on Special Groups and criminal elements by denying them sanctuaries and safe havens through Basra and Iraq.
“Operation Charge of the Knights has been an Iraqi planned and executed operation from the very start,” said Lt. Col. Neil Harper, deputy public affairs officer for Multi-National Corps - Iraq. “The Iraqi Army demonstrated their capability to protect the people of Basra against Special Groups and criminal elements that are ignoring the rule of law.
“The success in finding these large caches was also due in part by numerous tips from concerned local Iraqis. This is another great example of Iraqis dealing with their own issues, and they should be admired for their bravery,” Harper said.
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Kill, Detain Terrorists
Coalition forces battling al-Qaida terrorists and Iranian-trained “special group” criminals killed 23 terrorists and detained 42 others during multiple engagements and missions across Iraq between April 18 and 21.
“Iraqi security and coalition force soldiers are targeting criminals who violate the Iraqi rule of law,” said U.S. Army Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff for Multinational Division Baghdad.
“Coalition soldiers are not targeting any political group or organization, but rather working with the [Iraqi security forces] targeting criminals who are engaged in violent acts or about to commit a violent act,” Batschelet emphasized.
“It is the Iranian-supported special group criminals who are the primary reason the people of Baghdad are suffering. They are responsible for continued [improvised-explosive-device] attacks and firefights that are causing innocent civilian deaths,” he said.
During two operations in Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida leader and a suspected associate today. The missions were based on information gathered in an April 3 raid. The alleged al-Qaida leader is believed to oversee attack operations.
In separate operations yesterday, Multinational Force Baghdad soldiers took part in a series of engagements with terrorists and special group criminals.
-- At 4 a.m., soldiers assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment’s 7th Squadron detained two men carrying illegal weapons and bomb-making materials in the East Rashid district.
-- At 6:40 a.m., soldiers assigned to the 21st Infantry Regiment’s 1st Battalion spotted five individuals emplacing an improvised explosive device in the Adhamiyah district. The soldiers engaged the terrorists, and during the engagement, the IED detonated, killing three terrorists and wounding another.
-- At 8 a.m., the 21st Infantry Regiment’s 1st Battalion engaged and killed seven terrorists carrying three PKC machines guns, three AK-47 rifles, and a rocket–propelled-grenade launcher. A Stryker element supporting the mission killed two more criminals carrying AK-47s on a nearby rooftop.
-- At 3:30 p.m., a coalition force observation post in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood was fired upon by three special group criminals. U.S. soldiers returned fire killing one and wounding the other two.
-- At about 4 p.m., soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team discovered a substantial weapons cache containing 14 blocks of high explosives in the Zubaida area of Baghdad’s Rashid district.
-- At 4: 45 p.m., following a rocket attack, an unmanned aerial vehicle positively identified five special group criminals loading a vehicle with rocket rails in Sadr City. The UAV followed the vehicle to a house and engaged the criminals as they were unloading the vehicle, firing one Hellfire missile, destroying the vehicle and rockets rails, and killing the two criminals.
-- At 10:20 p.m., soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team killed three criminals with a missile fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle after they were positively identified carrying weapons at a cache site in eastern Baghdad.
In other operations yesterday, coalition forces also captured a suspected Iranian-trained special groups commander and three other suspected criminals in the Kadamiyah district of Baghdad. Coalition forces also killed four terrorists and detained four suspects in an operation north of Baqouba that targeted individuals believed to be housing foreign terrorists in the area.
“We are not initiating these engagements,” U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a 4th Infantry Division member and a spokesman for Multinational Division-Baghdad, said of the April 20 actions. “Coalition forces will continue to defend ourselves against criminals who ignore the Iraqi rule of law.”
In earlier operations, tips from local citizens netted three weapons caches in operations in Hakara and Basra on April 18 and 19.
-- Based on a tip, Iraqi army and U.S. from Multinational Division Center found a weapons cache during a combat patrol in Hakara on April 19.
-- Also acting on a tip, Iraqi army soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Brigade, 9th Division, working with Multinational Division Southeast forces discovered a weapons cache in two vehicles during Operation Charge of the Knights in the Quibla district of Basra on April 19.
-- A tip from another local citizen led Multinational Division Center soldiers from 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to a weapons cache near the Abu Eid bridge April 18.
In other operations April 18:
-- Coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists during operations targeting alleged associates of al-Qaida leaders southwest of Samarra and in southern Baghdad.
-- In southern Baghdad, coalition forces secured a building and detained a suspect allegedly involved in procuring bomb-making materials, including components for suicide vests.
-- In Beiji, coalition forces coordinated three operations targeting individuals believed to conspire with an al-Qaida leader known for coordinating bombing attacks. One suspect who attempted to evade the ground force was injured in the operation and taken to a military medical facility. Coalition forces captured two wanted men and detained 12 additional suspected terrorists.
-- During two operations in Mosul, coalition forces killed three and detained seven suspected terrorists, including one who was believed to have hidden a senior terrorist leader in his house. The targeted individual allegedly conducted attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces and was involved in killings in Baghdad.
“Iraqi security and coalition force soldiers are targeting criminals who violate the Iraqi rule of law,” said U.S. Army Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff for Multinational Division Baghdad.
“Coalition soldiers are not targeting any political group or organization, but rather working with the [Iraqi security forces] targeting criminals who are engaged in violent acts or about to commit a violent act,” Batschelet emphasized.
“It is the Iranian-supported special group criminals who are the primary reason the people of Baghdad are suffering. They are responsible for continued [improvised-explosive-device] attacks and firefights that are causing innocent civilian deaths,” he said.
During two operations in Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida leader and a suspected associate today. The missions were based on information gathered in an April 3 raid. The alleged al-Qaida leader is believed to oversee attack operations.
In separate operations yesterday, Multinational Force Baghdad soldiers took part in a series of engagements with terrorists and special group criminals.
-- At 4 a.m., soldiers assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment’s 7th Squadron detained two men carrying illegal weapons and bomb-making materials in the East Rashid district.
-- At 6:40 a.m., soldiers assigned to the 21st Infantry Regiment’s 1st Battalion spotted five individuals emplacing an improvised explosive device in the Adhamiyah district. The soldiers engaged the terrorists, and during the engagement, the IED detonated, killing three terrorists and wounding another.
-- At 8 a.m., the 21st Infantry Regiment’s 1st Battalion engaged and killed seven terrorists carrying three PKC machines guns, three AK-47 rifles, and a rocket–propelled-grenade launcher. A Stryker element supporting the mission killed two more criminals carrying AK-47s on a nearby rooftop.
-- At 3:30 p.m., a coalition force observation post in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood was fired upon by three special group criminals. U.S. soldiers returned fire killing one and wounding the other two.
-- At about 4 p.m., soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team discovered a substantial weapons cache containing 14 blocks of high explosives in the Zubaida area of Baghdad’s Rashid district.
-- At 4: 45 p.m., following a rocket attack, an unmanned aerial vehicle positively identified five special group criminals loading a vehicle with rocket rails in Sadr City. The UAV followed the vehicle to a house and engaged the criminals as they were unloading the vehicle, firing one Hellfire missile, destroying the vehicle and rockets rails, and killing the two criminals.
-- At 10:20 p.m., soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team killed three criminals with a missile fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle after they were positively identified carrying weapons at a cache site in eastern Baghdad.
In other operations yesterday, coalition forces also captured a suspected Iranian-trained special groups commander and three other suspected criminals in the Kadamiyah district of Baghdad. Coalition forces also killed four terrorists and detained four suspects in an operation north of Baqouba that targeted individuals believed to be housing foreign terrorists in the area.
“We are not initiating these engagements,” U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a 4th Infantry Division member and a spokesman for Multinational Division-Baghdad, said of the April 20 actions. “Coalition forces will continue to defend ourselves against criminals who ignore the Iraqi rule of law.”
In earlier operations, tips from local citizens netted three weapons caches in operations in Hakara and Basra on April 18 and 19.
-- Based on a tip, Iraqi army and U.S. from Multinational Division Center found a weapons cache during a combat patrol in Hakara on April 19.
-- Also acting on a tip, Iraqi army soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Brigade, 9th Division, working with Multinational Division Southeast forces discovered a weapons cache in two vehicles during Operation Charge of the Knights in the Quibla district of Basra on April 19.
-- A tip from another local citizen led Multinational Division Center soldiers from 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to a weapons cache near the Abu Eid bridge April 18.
In other operations April 18:
-- Coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists during operations targeting alleged associates of al-Qaida leaders southwest of Samarra and in southern Baghdad.
-- In southern Baghdad, coalition forces secured a building and detained a suspect allegedly involved in procuring bomb-making materials, including components for suicide vests.
-- In Beiji, coalition forces coordinated three operations targeting individuals believed to conspire with an al-Qaida leader known for coordinating bombing attacks. One suspect who attempted to evade the ground force was injured in the operation and taken to a military medical facility. Coalition forces captured two wanted men and detained 12 additional suspected terrorists.
-- During two operations in Mosul, coalition forces killed three and detained seven suspected terrorists, including one who was believed to have hidden a senior terrorist leader in his house. The targeted individual allegedly conducted attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces and was involved in killings in Baghdad.
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