A Task Force Baghdad soldier died when a vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in central Baghdad, and a Task Force Liberty soldier died of injuries suffered in a vehicle accident near Kirkuk.
The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
In other news, Iraqi army and Task Force Baghdad soldiers, patrolling together and independently, continued to disrupt terrorists' ability to attack coalition forces and innocent civilians by finding five large weapons caches hidden in and around Baghdad Sept. 19-21.
Together, the five caches consisted of 27 rockets and mortars, 20 mortar fuses, 14 rocket-propelled grenades with three launchers, and three hand grenades. The soldiers also found five AK-47 assault rifles, a machine gun, sniper rifles, 280 magazines, two pistols, and more than a dozen boxes of ammunition. Anti-coalition propaganda, fake license plates, and blasting caps were also discovered in the caches.
In other combat operations, Iraqi army and coalition forces captured 16 terror suspects during a series of raids carried out against suspected terrorist safe houses throughout Baghdad. In addition to detaining the suspects, the soldiers seized two missiles, bomb-making materials, six AK-47 assault rifles, a machine gun, and ammunition.
Coalition forces working in northwest Baghdad foiled a car-bomb attack Sept. 21. As the unit was traveling on a major highway, a car tried to enter the convoy and ram one of the U.S. vehicles. The vehicle swerved to avoid being struck, and the soldiers fired at the car, setting off the bombs inside.
The driver of the car managed to jump out and tried to run away, but the soldiers captured him and brought him into custody for questioning.
In other developments, a combined patrol of U.S. Task Force Liberty and Iraqi army soldiers discovered a weapons cache northwest of Samarra on Sept. 21. Explosive ordnance personnel destroyed the cache, which consisted of more than 300 57 mm mortar shells.
In the air war over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 52 close-air-support and armed-reconnaissance sorties Sept. 21. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities. Coalition aircraft also supported Iraqi and coalition ground forces operations to create a secure environment for ongoing Transitional National Assembly meetings, officials said.
U.S. Air Force F-16s and U.S. Navy F/A-18s provided close air support to coalition troops near Baghdad and Kirkuk.
Nine U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. U.S Air Force and British Royal Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a nontraditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Task Force Baghdad and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases.)