COMBINED FORCES' RAIDS NET TERRORISTS, SUSPECTS

Release Date: 4/30/2006

Release Number: 06-04-03PC

Description:
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi and coalition forces conducted a series of coordinated raids in the area Yusifiyah April 29, capturing seven wanted terrorists and detaining more than 50 other suspects.

The combined forces raided multiple locations based on information and intelligence regarding the whereabouts of foreign terrorists, foreign terrorist facilitators, operatives and leaders affiliated with the al Qaeda network.

The comprehensive operation was conducted to deny safe haven and to kill or capture foreign and Iraqi terrorists who have been operating in the region.

Over the past several weeks, the terrorists, most of them foreign, have used the hostile region as a staging area to launch suicide operations into Baghdad.

Iraqi and Coalition forces have conducted several previous raids in the area in the past few weeks, resulting in the death of more than 20 foreign terrorists; several of the terrorists were wearing suicide vests when the assault forces killed them.

In a related issue, officials have provided updated reporting that of the 12 terrorists killed in the recent April 25 raid in Yusifiyah, at least five, and as many as 10 of the terrorists were confirmed to be foreigners.

WEAPONS SEARCH � Like their civilian counterparts, military photographers are on the frontlines of the war on terror. "Military Photographers On the Frontlines" is a collection showcasing the work of some of our best military photographers. The most recent addition features U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Dunaway.

Coalition Forces Kill 12 Terrorists in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2006 – Coalition forces killed 12 terrorists during a raid on a safe house in Yusifiyah, Iraq, yesterday, U.S. officials said.
The safe house was associated with foreign terrorists. Multiple intelligence sources led the troops to the specific structure, about 8 kilometers from the location where a U.S. Apache helicopter crashed April 1.

Upon arrival, the troops took direct fire and immediately engaged with small-arms fire as well as machine-gun fire from helicopters. The first terrorist who ran out of the safe house upon the troops' arrival was attempting to launch the shoulder-fired rocket and was immediately engaged and killed. The troops initially killed five terrorists outside the safe house and then called for an air strike to neutralize the persistent direct fire coming from the safe house.

After the precision air strike, ground troops conducted a tactical search of the destroyed safe house and located the bodies of seven more terrorists and a woman. Every male who was found in the rubble was wearing an AK-47 vest with two loaded magazines and two grenades. The troops also discovered suicide notes on one terrorist, body bombs, weapons to include a shoulder-fired rocket, and ammunition.

Two wanted terrorists, one potentially transnational, were believed to be operating from this safe house. However, officials were not sure if the two were killed in the raid. Coalition forces are currently determining the identity of those killed, officials said. The troops destroyed the weapons, suicide vests, body bombs and ammunition on site.

In other news from Iraq, Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers detained a suspected triggerman yesterday shortly after he detonated a roadside bomb against a coalition convoy in Dawr. A coalition aircraft spotted the man hiding on a nearby rooftop when the attack occurred. Soldiers from the convoy were guided to the building and captured the suspect.

The man tested positive for explosives residue and was detained for further questioning. No soldiers were injured in the attack.

Elsewhere, Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers shot and killed a terrorist preparing a mortar attack in Samarra yesterday. Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, saw three men drive a truck over the security berm that surrounds the city and begin setting up a mortar system.

The soldiers engaged the men before they could fire the mortar, killing one and forcing the other two to flee. A search of the truck uncovered two mortar systems, 13 mortar rounds, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher with two warheads, and several items commonly used in constructing improvised explosive devices.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

PATROL � U.S. Army Medic Pfc. Leif Peterson (left) talks to an Iraqi during a foot patrol in Mahmodyah, Iraq, April 12, 2006. Peterson is assigned to 3rd Platoon, Delta Company, 1/502 Infantry Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Desiree N. Palacios

Terrorists Detained, Weapons Caches Uncovered
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2006 – Coalition forces detained a dozen suspected terrorists today and yesterday, and uncovered large weapons caches around Baghdad, officials in Iraq reported today.
Coalition soldiers detained three Iraqi men and an Iraqi woman today while conducting combat operations near Abu Ghraib.

The woman was allegedly attempting to hide about 50 blasting caps under her clothing when detained. Coalition troops also confiscated several AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and a sniper rifle.

The incident remains under investigation. Yesterday, eight suspected terrorists were detained during a combat patrol south of Baghdad.

Soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, detained seven Iraqis suspected of running a bomb-making facility west of al Yusufiyah.

Later in the day, a local resident pointed out another suspect to MNDB soldiers conducting a patrol near Abu Ghraib. They detained him along with an AK-47 rifle. In other news, during a search of two houses in the southwestern suburbs of Baghdad, MNDB soldiers from 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, uncovered a large cache of weapons yesterday.

In the first house, the cache consisted of two 55-gallon drums of homemade explosives, two pressure plates, one artillery shell, a homemade rocket launcher, two pipes filled with high-explosive material, a 7-foot missile, a 14.5 mm Dishka heavy artillery machine gun, and six anti-tank mines.

In the second house, about 150 meters east of the first one, a second cache was found comprising eight shape charges, a sniper rifle, five pressure plates, three rocket-propelled grenades, an acetylene tank and two grenades taped to a window. The interior of the rear door appeared to contain an unfinished booby trap.

Inside, soldiers also found a note asking other terrorists for help to attack a local coalition forces operating base. An explosive ordinance disposal team destroyed the caches on site.

Also, soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found a weapons cache in a New Baghdad neighborhood April 20.

The cache included 81 75 mm projectiles, 43 grenades, three 82 mm illumination rounds, one 85 mm projectile, two 90 mm high-explosive rounds and four 100 mm heat projectiles.

Iraqi and U.S. explosive ordnance disposal teams destroyed the cache on site.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq.)

Band of Brothers Soldiers Detain Suspects, Unearth Major Cache
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, April 21, 2006 – U.S. soldiers from Task Force Band of Brothers scored successes in two operations this week.
Soldiers from the task force caught seven suspected insurgents in the act of emplacing explosives yesterday. Soldiers on patrol with Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, observed the suspects digging. As the patrol approached, the suspects tried to flee in two vehicles. The soldiers stopped, searched and detained all the suspects.

In one vehicle, a blue truck, soldiers discovered more than 120 mortar rounds, fuses and four missiles. At the site where the individuals had been digging, soldiers found a cache containing 250 artillery and mortar rounds, two anti-personnel land mines, one anti-tank mine, and a hand grenade. The munitions were taken to a secured location for controlled detonation. The suspects are undergoing questioning, U.S. officials said.

Meanwhile, a large cache discovered in Diyala province April 19 by Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers continues to yield munitions, officials said.

Iraqi soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, and Troop A, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, uncovered more mortars and artillery rounds yesterday.

The initial find of nearly 50 mortar rounds and more than a dozen fuses was found to be much larger when an additional 250 artillery and mortar rounds were unearthed in the same location, officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

SABA AL BOOR RAID � Iraqi soldiers from the 9th Iraqi Division close in and prepare to raid a mosque in Saba al Boor, Iraq, April 15, 2006, after increased insurgent activity in the area. Based on information received from local residents, the soldiers entered the mosque and found two unauthorized AK-47 assault rifles. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Larson Hi-Res

The torch of Army Sgt. Julius McLarin throws out a shower of sparks as he cuts armor plate at Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, on April 18, 2006. McLarin is attached to the Brigade Support Battalion, 172nd Infantry Brigade. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. John M. Foster, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jim H. Brady (right) and an Iraqi army soldier with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division conduct a foot patrol in Rawah, Iraq, on April 14, 2006. Brady is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment. DoD photo by Cpl. Brian M. Henner, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

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U.S. Troops Killed in Afghanistan, Iraq; Officials Identify Earlier CasualtiesAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 21, 2006 – A U.S. servicemember died in Afghanistan today and a Marine died in Iraq yesterday, U.S. officials announced today.
A U.S. servicemember was killed today when a patrol was attacked by small-arms fire while investigating a cache near Deh Rawod, in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province. One Afghan National Army soldier was wounded in the engagement. The wounded soldier was evacuated to Kandahar for treatment.
"We deeply mourn the loss of one of our soldiers. We will continue to relentlessly pursue the enemy and help the Afghan National Army bring security to the people of Afghanistan," Army Col. Thomas Collins, a spokesman for Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, said.
In Iraq, a Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died due to enemy action while operating in Anbar province yesterday. No further details were available.
The deceased servicemembers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Defense officials have identified several servicemembers previously reported killed in Iraq.

Army Pfc. Robert J. Settle, 25, of Owensboro, Ky., died in Taji, April 19 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee. Settle was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Army Capt. Ian P. Weikel, 31, of Colorado, died in Balad, April 18 from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad. Weikel was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcques J. Nettles, 22, of Beaverton, Ore., died April 2, when the truck he was riding in rolled over in a flash flood near Asad. Nettles was previously listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown." His body was recovered April 16. He was assigned to 1st Combat Logistics Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Defense Department news releases.)

IRAQ VISIT � U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker meets Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, at Camp Taji, Iraq, April 19, 2006. The 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, is partnered with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Maj. David Olson

CACHE SITE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE MUNITIONS
Release Date:
4/20/2006
Release Number:
06-04-02P
Description:
BAQUBAH, Iraq -- A large cache discovered in Diyala Province April 19 by Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers continues to yield munitions.

Soldiers from the 1st Bn., 1st Bde., 5th Iraqi Army Division and Alpha Troop, 1st Sqdr., 32nd Cav., 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, uncovered more mortars and artillery rounds April 20.

The initial find of nearly 50 mortar rounds and more than a dozen fuses was found to be much larger when an additional 250 artillery and mortar rounds of were unearthed in the same location.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE AT EDWARD.LOOMIS@US.ARMY.MIL, JEFFREY.ALLEN1@US.ARMY.MIL, TERRY.L.WEBSTER@US.ARMY.MIL AND CHRISTOPHER.PEAVY@US.ARMY.MIL.
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CACHE SITE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE MUNITIONS
Release Date:
4/20/2006
Release Number:
06-04-02P
Description:
BAQUBAH, Iraq -- A large cache discovered in Diyala Province April 19 by Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers continues to yield munitions.

Soldiers from the 1st Bn., 1st Bde., 5th Iraqi Army Division and Alpha Troop, 1st Sqdr., 32nd Cav., 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, uncovered more mortars and artillery rounds April 20.

The initial find of nearly 50 mortar rounds and more than a dozen fuses was found to be much larger when an additional 250 artillery and mortar rounds of were unearthed in the same location.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE AT EDWARD.LOOMIS@US.ARMY.MIL, JEFFREY.ALLEN1@US.ARMY.MIL, TERRY.L.WEBSTER@US.ARMY.MIL AND CHRISTOPHER.PEAVY@US.ARMY.MIL.
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CACHE SITE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE MUNITIONS
Release Date:
4/20/2006
Release Number:
06-04-02P
Description:
BAQUBAH, Iraq -- A large cache discovered in Diyala Province April 19 by Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers continues to yield munitions.

Soldiers from the 1st Bn., 1st Bde., 5th Iraqi Army Division and Alpha Troop, 1st Sqdr., 32nd Cav., 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, uncovered more mortars and artillery rounds April 20.

The initial find of nearly 50 mortar rounds and more than a dozen fuses was found to be much larger when an additional 250 artillery and mortar rounds of were unearthed in the same location.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE AT EDWARD.LOOMIS@US.ARMY.MIL, JEFFREY.ALLEN1@US.ARMY.MIL, TERRY.L.WEBSTER@US.ARMY.MIL AND CHRISTOPHER.PEAVY@US.ARMY.MIL.
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Iraqi tip leads to weapons caches
BAGHDAD, Iraq (April 20, 2006) – Local citizens are helping the Coalition, as improvements in infrastructure lead to a better quality of life. Multi-National Division –Baghdad Soldiers found a weapons cache south of Baghdad April 17, thanks to a tip from an Iraqi citizen.
Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division responded to the tip with a patrol which discovered eight 250- to 500-pound aerial bombs stored in a steel cage, apparently ready for transport. The Soldiers called in an explosive ordnance disposal team, which destroyed the cache with a controlled detonation.
Earlier in the day, Soldiers from Multi-National Division - Baghdad’s 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, discovered another cache while conducting a combat patrol southwest of Baghdad. The cache consisted of rocket-propelled grenade launchers and grenades, a mortar tube and round, flares and an Iraqi police vest.
The cache was turned over to an EOD team and rendered safe.
A terrorist bomb caused extensive damage to a new police station under construction in Yusifiyah, south west of Baghdad April 19.
The explosion occurred about 10 p.m. collapsing half of the building. Soldiers from 6th Iraqi Army Division secured the site after the blast to prevent further damage.
“Terrorists are attempting to prevent the rebuilding of the essential infrastructure,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, Multi-National Division - Baghdad spokesman. “The police station is a sign of progress for the Iraqi people.”
Iraqi authorities are investigating the incident.
Rebuilding Iraq continues
Despite the efforts of terrorists and insurgents, measurable progress is taking place in Iraq. Residents of Airport Village near Baghdad’s International Airport now have safe drinking water, thanks in part to Coalition Forces from Victory Base.
A “turn on the valve” ceremony marked the completion of the Airport Village Water Tower and Pipeline project April 15. Iraqi contractors finished the tower and pipeline with the help of workers from the village.
Coalition Forces coordinated the funding for the water project at the request of the village leadership, said 1st Lt. Emily Siegert, a civil and military affairs officer with Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
“The mayor had approached the (Soldiers). They had negative water pressure, which allowed sewage to get into the drinking water,” said Siegert.
“This is the biggest gift from the (Coalition) Forces to this village,” said Esam Al Askar, managing director and CEO, Al Fulq Ltd. Co. Al Askar is also a resident of the village. “People used to be very, very sick in the village. When the water pipes were rotten, sewage was leaking (into the water supply).”
Workers replaced the old Airport Village water network with an 8-inch pipeline that improved the water pressure and accessibility for the village. The new water tower expands the ability of the village to have water during the driest summer months.
The work employed dozens of the village’s men. “It was a good opportunity for the unemployed in our village,” said Al Askar.
“The villagers are very pleased with the project. They appreciate having fresh water,” added the village’s mayor, who requested his name be withheld.
“The project started in July 2005 by the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, Hawaii Army National Guard,” said Maj. John Gentry, Victory Base Defense Operations Center Effects Coordinator and member of the 122nd Rear Operations Center, Georgia Army National Guard.
The work was continued by MND-B Soldiers of the 320th Field Artillery Regiment, and completed by the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, based out of Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Airport Village dates to the 1970s when Baghdad International Airport was built. The village was originally intended to house only a few-hundred people, but is currently home to about 2,500 residents, many of whom work at Baghdad International Airport.
The project was funded by the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid program.
(Compiled from official Defense Department sources)
Archived Daily Stories

U.S. Army Pvt. Lukowski of the Quick Reaction Force attempts to protect himself from the dust that was kicked up by a Blackhawk helicopter, March 31, 2006. The soldiers are going to another location to look for another weapons cache. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika

U.S. Army Pvt. Kyle Maseman of the Quick Reaction Force protects his ears as a weapons cache is destroyed in place March 31, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika

.S. Army Spc. Stanley Neal and 2nd Lt. William Baines of the Quick Reaction Force call in their location near Forward Operating Base Summerall, March 31, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika

Soldiers of the Quick Reaction Force, 1st Battalion 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division use a metal detector to look for a weapons cache, March 31, 2006. The soldiers air assaulted to the location from Forward Operating Base Summerall. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika

U.S. Army Pvt. Roger McMillan of the Quick Reaction Force, 1st Battalion 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division en route from Forward Operating Base Summerall, Iraq to an air assault location to look for a weapons cache, March 31, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika

ANTICIPATION � Iraqi soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Division, wait to go on leave near Camp Rawah, Iraq, April 13, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian M Henner
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PRESENCE PATROL � U.S. Marines discuss their route during a presence patrol in Karabilah in the Al Anbar province of Iraq April 12, 2006. The Marines are assigned to 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Lara Renato Hi-Res

U.S. Marines Repel Coordinated Assault

Title: FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED IN YUSIFIYAH, FIVE DETAINED

Release Date: 4/16/2006

Release Number: 06-04-01PR

Description: BAGHDAD, Iraq – At approximately 2:15 a.m. April 16, Coalition forces raided a safe house in Yusifiyah, killing five terrorists and detaining five while searching for a wanted al Qaeda associate. Upon arrival at the identified hideout the troops received small arms fire, immediately returned fire, assaulted the building and ultimately neutralized the threat.

During the assault, five terrorists, three of them wearing suicide vests, were killed; five others, one of whom was wounded, were detained. Two of the suicide bombers were killed before either could detonate his vest, and the third detonated his body bomb killing only himself and injuring no one else.

After the terrorists initiated hostilities, one woman died, and three women and one child were injured. The wounded females and child were medically evacuated to the 10th CSH in Baghdad. All four were ambulatory.

Coalition forces confirmed that one of the five detained was the wanted al Qaeda terrorist for whom the troops were searching. The terrorist, whose name is currently being withheld, was involved in the planning and execution of improvised explosive device attacks and allegedly was associated with al Qaeda foreign fighter operations. The other four suspects are being assessed for knowledge of and involvement in terrorist activity.

The troops found four AK-47s, one pistol, several grenades and suicide vests (the three being worn) at the safe house. Explosives ordnance experts detonated the two remaining vests on-site. Most grenades were used by the enemy, and one grenade was found with the pin pulled, but not yet expended, in the hand of a dead terrorist.

Five Coalition members were injured during the raid, three of whom have already been returned to duty. The other two are in good condition and are expected to be returned to duty shortly.

An Iraqi policeman walks past the wreckage of a car after a bomb exploded on a man installing the explosives to be used as a car bomb, in a residential neighborhood in Baghdad. (AFP)

KID TALK � U.S. Army Lt. Kylen Mays from the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, talks with locals while on a combat patrol in Tal Afar, Iraq, April 8, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon Hi-Res

WEAPONS CACHE DISCOVERED IN MOSUL

Release Date: 4/14/2006

Release Number: 06-04-01P

Description: MOSUL, Iraq – Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers discovered a large cache of weapons and IED making materials Thursday morning in Mosul based off a tip from a local citizen.

Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade seized more than 70 rocket-propelled grenade warheads, 26 mortar shells, more than 20 grenades, seven sniper rifles with scopes, and several thousand rounds of AK-47 ammunition.

The Soldiers also found 10 pounds of plastic explosive, detonation cord and various other components for constructing IEDs.

The confiscated items were transported to a secure location for disposal.


Question concerning this release should be directed to the following email group:
Edward.loomis@us.army.mil, Jeffrey.allen1@us.army.mil, terry.l.webster@us.army.mil and Christopher.peavy@us.army.mil


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Created at 4/14/2006 6:23 AM by Joe P. Vermette
Last modified at 4/14/2006 6:23 AM by Joe P. Vermette

Iraqi police depart for a patrol from the Al-Hurryah district police station in Baghdad, Iraq, April 10, 2006. Iraqi police officers continuously conduct patrols throughout Baghdad, ensuring the safety and security of the community. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel W. Shavers

Iraqi police officers from the Al-Hurryah district police station in Baghdad, Iraq, muster before heading out on a patrol April 10, 2006. Iraqi police officers continuously conduct patrols throughout Baghdad, ensuring the safety and security of the community. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel W

2 Marines Killed, 22 Hurt in Western Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two U.S. Marines were killed and 22 were wounded, two of them critically, in fighting in western Iraq, the U.S. command announced Saturday. Two of the wounded were in critical condition.

QUICK REACTION FORCE � U.S. soldiers assigned to Quick Reaction Force, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, wait for a Blackhawk helicopter, March 31, 2006. The soldiers air assaulted to the location from Forward Operating Base Summerall, Iraq, to search for a weapons cache. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika Hi-Res

Coalition Forces Capture, Kill Terrorists; Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, April 13, 2006 – Coalition forces in Iraq killed two suspected terrorists and captured two others today, and found more weapons caches , U.S. military officials in Baghdad said.
Coalition forces raided a safe house about 50 kilometers northwest of Balad today, where they captured two terrorists and killed two others. One terrorist killed was wearing a suicide vest, and the other was armed with a rifle.

Coalition forces found an explosives cache near the safe house and subsequently destroyed its contents. No civilians were injured during the raid, U.S. military officials said.

In other news, an Iraqi citizen led U.S. soldiers of 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry, attached to 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, to a weapons cache north of Baqubah yesterday.

The cache included 155 mm artillery rounds and mortar rounds of various calibers. The cache was transported to a secured location for controlled detonation, military officials said.

Four more weapons caches were uncovered during the continuation of a combined operation between Iraqi army and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers in southern Baghdad April 10.

In total, the four weapons caches consisted of rocket-propelled grenade rounds, machine guns, 70 mm mortar rounds, 60 mm mortar rounds, land mines, a large bag of homemade explosives, a sniper rifle, grenades, assembled roadside bombs, rockets, small-arms ammunition and sniper-rifle rounds.

The soldiers also destroyed five boats used to transport weapons across the Tigris River.

"This area is a staging area for attacks both across the Tigris and into our area of operations as well," Army 2nd Lt. James Stephan, assistant security officer for 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, said. "The weapons and material found here confirm our suspicions that the enemy is concentrated heavily along the palm groves and riverbanks in the area."

March Raid Killed bin Laden Associate, Officials Announce
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, April 13, 2006 – Coalition and Iraqi forces killed a wanted extremist with high-level terrorism ties during an early morning raid March 27 near Baghdad's Abu Ghraib district, Multinational Force Iraq officials here announced today.
Rafid Ibrahim Fattah, also known as Abu Umar al-Kurdi, had ties to Taliban members in Afghanistan, Pakistan-based extremists, and al Qaeda senior leaders including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, officials said. He also had ties with Jaysh al Islami -- "The Islamic Army in Iraq" -- and the Iraqi resistance group Ansar al Sunnah.

Over the past six months, the Kurdi worked as a Jaysh al Islami cell leader in Baqubah, and he allegedly was involved in the kidnapping of an Iraqi woman. He traveled extensively throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq over the past 15 years, and formed a relationship with al Qaeda senior leaders in 1999 while in Afghanistan, officials said.

In the 1980s, he formed ties with the Muslim Brotherhood while in Iran and Pakistan, and then he joined the "holy war" in Afghanistan in 1989. Within months, he was given the title of an al Qaeda ambassador and attended military training camps near Jalabad, where Osama bin Laden often visited.

He returned to the Muslim Brotherhood in Peshawar in 1991, and in 1992 moved to Iraq, joining the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan. Throughout the 1990s until his death, Kurdi moved between Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, holding various positions including as a liaison among terrorist networks, as an operations officer responsible for coordinating the activities of the various terrorist groups, and as a security chief for a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.

A detainee who admitted his own affiliation with Jaysh al Islami claimed that Kurdi recruited him into the terrorist organization. The detainee claims he joined in September 2004 when Kurdi introduced him to the JAI leader .

The detainee also told officials that Kurdi kidnapped and murdered a woman several months ago. Officials confirmed the hostage-taking, and are investigating the alleged murder.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

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TAL AFAR PATROL � U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Schloneger, assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, checks a map while on a combat patrol in Tal Afar, Iraq, April 10, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon Hi-Res

SECURITY DUTY � U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Clayton J. Bryan scans the streets of Baghdadi, in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, while on perimeter security during an engineering operation, April 5, 2006. Bryan is an aircraft rescue and firefighting specialist, attached to the Incident Response Platoon, Marine Wing Support Squadron 274, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon L. Roach Hi-Res

SECURITY DUTY � U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Clayton J. Bryan scans the streets of Baghdadi, in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, while on perimeter security during an engineering operation, April 5, 2006. Bryan is an aircraft rescue and firefighting specialist, attached to the Incident Response Platoon, Marine Wing Support Squadron 274, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon L. Roach Hi-Res

.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment's engineer platoon combined with members of 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Divison dug up more than 15,000 rounds during a three-day operation in the area surrounding Gharmah, Iraq, April 6, 2006. The combined forces walked for three days and found numerous weapons and munitions. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. William Skelton

Iraqi army soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army Division Explosive Ordnance Disposal and U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians from Multinational Division - Central South prepare to dispose of piles of unexploded ordnance in Diwaniyah, Iraq, on April 8, 2006. The demolition of the ordnance denies their use by insurgents in improvised explosive devices. DoD photo by Senior Airman Jason T. Bailey, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

Three Soldiers Die in Iraq; DoD Identifies Recent CasualtiesAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2006 – Roadside bombs killed three U.S. servicemembers in Iraq today, and the Defense Department has identified five other recent casualties.
Military officials reported that two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb south of Baghdad this morning. Another Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died this morning in a roadside bomb attack east of Baghdad.
The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of the families, and the incidents are under investigation.
Meanwhile, the Defense Department has identified three soldiers and two Marines who died recently in Iraq:
Army Spc. James W. Gardner, 22, of Glasgow, Ky., died in Tal Afar on April 10 from a noncombat related cause. Gardner was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Two soldiers died of injuries suffered April 9 in Ramadi when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations. Sgt. 1st Class Randall L. Lamberson, 36, of Springfield, Mo., died in Balad on April 10, and Spc. David S. Collins, 24, of Jasper Ga., died in Ramadi on April 9. The soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Marine Cpl. Richard P. Waller, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, died April 7 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Iraq's Anbar province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Marine Lance Cpl. Bryan N. Taylor, 20, of Milford, Ohio, died April 6 after being shot by an Iraqi army soldier on a coalition base near Qaim. He was assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The incident is under investigation.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Defense Department news releases.)

SUSPECTS DETAINED, ONE KILLED NEAR BALAD
Release Date:
4/10/2006
Release Number:
06-04-01PP
Description:
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Coalition forces raided two locations approximately 10 kilometers northwest of Balad this April 10, killing one terrorist and detaining four, three of whom were wounded, during a search for al Qaeda associates. As troops approached the identified locations, several suspects fled. Concurrently and prior to entering the safe house, the troops engaged and killed one armed female terrorist who was inside and shot and wounded one other as he ran from the same building in an attempt to evade the troops.

The troops detained the other three as they attempted to flee from one of the safe houses. Two sustained minor injuries during apprehension and both are receiving further medical treatment.

The wounded terrorist who had been shot was medically evacuated to the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad and is listed in stable condition.

Coalition forces found a suicide vest, multiple claymore mines and other explosives at a location 50 meters southeast of the safehouse where they detained two of the terrorists who fled.

No civilians were harmed during this raid, and all lethal material was destroyed

DIWANIYAH PATROL � U.S. Navy sailors from the U.S. Navy's explosive ordnance disposal unit and Polish army soldiers stop to pose with a camel during a mission with the 8th Iraqi Army Division explosive ordnance disposal unit in Diwaniyah, Iraq, April 8, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jason T. Bailey Hi-Res

Iraqi, Coalition Forces conduct Operation Bastogne
BAGHDAD, Iraq (April 10, 2006) � Iraqi Security Forces continue to gain experience as they lead both small and large-scale, combined operations. Two recent examples are in the Julayba area and north of Baghdad along the Tigris River.
Iraqi and Coalition Soldiers wrapped up a successful counter-insurgency operation in the Julayba area east of Ramadi April 6. Operation Bastogne began early in the morning with Soldiers of the 1st Iraqi Army Division and the U.S. 28th Infantry blocking off escape routes frequented by insurgents.
The combined operation resulted in two insurgents killed and three others captured. The Soldiers also discovered a cache of improvised explosive devices, artillery rounds, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft rounds, fuses, primers and mortar propellants.
�The (Iraqi) Soldiers have developed a very good relationship with the (American) Task Force. The 1-506 has gone to great lengths to coordinate and share information with us,� said Gen. Razaq, a 1st Iraqi Army commander. �During the mission my Iraqi Soldiers ate, slept and fought along side the Soldiers from the 1- 506th, and we had very good communication and camaraderie. The result of this has been a very successful Operation Bastogne,� he said.
Razaq also said Julayba residents provided his troops with information about the enemy in their area.
�The insurgents have angered the people of Ramadi with their brutality, and the population is ready to get rid of them,� said the Iraqi commander.
In Tarmiya, city council members and Multi-National Division � Baghdad leaders conducted a combined press conference April 6. The leaders discussed security concerns and improvement projects for the city.
�We have set a temporary patrol base inside the city, and we have done this to better support and maintain the security of the people of Tarmiya,� said Lt. Col. Rocky Kmiecik, commander 4th Infantry Division�s 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment. �It is our goal to secure and safeguard them and make sure they have a safe environment to live in.�
MND-B Soldiers began securing the area north of Baghdad on the western bank of the Tigris River in late March. After several weeks of continuous operations, they have seen signs of achieving that goal, said Kmiecik.
�As the joint patrols and operations in this area have been going on, it has been generally pretty quiet,� said Staff Sgt. Christopher Wright, 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment. �We are trying to restore order to the city, and we�re trying to make it a safer place.�
Coalition Forces and city council members have forged ahead with several reconstruction projects aimed at raising the quality of life for Tarmiya�s citizens.
A major health-care initiative calls for the development of a surgical and birthing wing and improvements at the local clinic. Water treatment and local-road improvement are also on the reconstruction agenda. A Tarmiya youth center has already been completed.
In Baqubah, two terrorists died when an IED they were making inside a local residence detonated April 8. Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers along with Iraqi Soldiers and police responded to the explosion. A search of the house revealed weapons, IED components and other completed IEDs.
The explosives were safely destroyed. Baqubah police are investigating the incident.
(Compiled from official State and Defense Department sources

U.S. Army Sgt. Andrew Kisz, assigned to Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, observes the actions of Iraqi army soldiers with 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, from Forward Operating Base Independence, as they search homes for weapons and dangerous materials during clearance operations in Baghdad, Iraq, April 3, 2006.U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin L. Moses Sr.

A team of Iraqi army soldiers with 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, from Forward Operating Base Independence, prepare to breech a home during clearance operations in Baghdad, Iraq, April 3, 2006, in order to deny insurgents the opportunity to freely operate in the region. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin L. Moses Sr.

An Iraqi army soldier provides security March 28, 2006, at the sight of an unexplained explosion that collapsed a building in Baghdad, Iraq, the night before. At least five civilians were killed and many more wounded. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Bart A. Bauer

4/9/2006
Release Number:
06-04-01PP
Description:
BAGHDAD, Iraq – In search of locations for bomb making and storage, Coalition forces killed eight terrorists during a raid April 9 approximately 22 kilometers northwest of Baghdad in the vicinity of Hamaniyah. As the Coalition forces ordered occupants to exit an identified safehouse and nearby tent, two suspects ran from the tent. At least one suspect was armed, and both moved to take fire positions. The Coalition forces engaged the two and then received automatic and small arms fire from the north and south.

The troops engaged and killed five terrorists in the tent. The ground force commander simultaneously called for close air support to neutralize the machine gun fire emanating from the northwest of his position. Three terrorists were killed in the ensuing air strike.

The troops then ordered the occupants to come out of the safehouse, but entered forcibly when none complied. The forces found improvised explosive devices and weapons, and detained two suspects.

One woman was injured during the entry, was treated on-site and medically evacuated to the 10th Combat Support Hospital for further treatment and evaluation. The details of her injury are unknown at this time but the treating physician has listed her in stable condition as of 4:15 a.m.

Numerous weapons, ammunition, and falsified documents were found in the targeted safehouse and the nearby tent.

NO SLACK FOR INSURGENT CELL LEADERS
Release Date:
4/10/2006
Release Number:
06-04-01P
Description:
KIRKUK, Iraq – Bastogne Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division captured two suspected terror cell leaders, along with eight other alleged insurgents, during combined cordon and search missions with an Iraqi Police
Emergency Services Unit in Kirkuk April 7.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment (the “No Slack” battalion) of the 1st BCT provided oversight as police searched two homes belonging to a suspected Islamic Army cell leader wanted in connection with a plot to kidnap a project manager for an environmental corporation working in the region. The reported cell leader and six other individuals present in the homes at the time were detained and are being questioned by the Iraqi Police.

A short time after this successful operation, “No Slack” Soldiers and the ESU detained three Arab males during a cordon and search of two more houses. One of the three detainees is suspected of being the leader of a terror cell responsible for infrastructure attacks in and around Kirkuk. These detainees were taken to a nearby U.S. military compound for questioning.

In addition to the two suspected cell leaders, Bastogne Soldiers, working alongside Iraqi Security Forces, have captured 60 terror suspects in the past three days, including a terrorist who has been financing and leading infrastructure attacks in Riyadh, southwest of Kirkuk.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team has been fighting alongside and training the Iraqi Army and Police since deploying to Kirkuk in November of last year. Missions such as these continue to move the Iraqi Security Forces toward taking the lead in the security of the region.


FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE AT EDWARD.LOOMIS@US.ARMY.MIL, JEFFREY.ALLEN1@US.ARMY.MIL, TERRY.L.WEBSTER@US.ARMY.MIL AND CHRISTOPHER.PEAVY@US.ARMY.MIL.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON!

SIX KILLED, 19 WOUNDED IN VBIED ATTACK
Release Date:
4/10/2006
Release Number:
06-04-01P
Description:
BAGHDAD – Six Iraqi citizens died and 19 were wounded at approximately 3 p.m. April 8 when a vehicle-borne improvised-explosive device detonated in a market area of al Musayyib.

Several stores were reportedly damaged. Earlier media reports erroneously reported a mortar round striking a mosque.
Iraqi police and Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, cordoned off the area and provided security as fire trucks and ambulances arrived at the scene to assist the wounded.

The incident is under investigation by Iraqi authorities.

Marines and Iraqi Forces find caches in Operation Hastings
Submitted by: Regimental Combat Team 5
Story Identification #: 2006481028
Story by Cpl. William Skelton



GHARMAH, Iraq (April 6, 2006) -- They dug up the buried weapons by the truckload.

Marines from 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment�s engineer platoon along with soldiers from the Iraqi Army, discovered several weapons caches northeast of Fallujah during Operation Hastings.

The operation combined Marines with soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division. The goal of the joint operation was to take weapons out of the hands of insurgents.

�We linked up with the Iraqi Army to search for weapons caches and to basically show them what the engineers do,� said Pfc. Ryan C. Freeman, a 19-year-old from Stockbridge, Ga.

The operation began April 4, with the Marines picking up a platoon of Iraqi soldiers from their base at Camp Delta. The combined forces spent the next three days combing a large area in the battalion�s area of operation.

�We are covering a lot of ground,� Freeman said. �It�s not as far as we normally cover, but we are utilizing the Iraqi forces and training them this time.�

Iraqi forces took perimeter to provide security while the engineers searched through mounds of dirt and around abandoned buildings. The Iraqi soldiers also searched houses and spoke with local villagers.

�It�s a good sign that the Iraqis are adapting and that their training is coming along,� said Lance Cpl. Gabriel H. Garza, a 19-year-old electrician from Willcox, Ariz. �They seem to be functioning well, and interacting with the community.�

The Marines and Iraqis didn�t find any huge caches with large amounts of munitions, but more than 15 smaller caches were found. The yield varied in amounts of weapons and munitions.

�We have found a little here and a little there,� said 2nd Lt. Ahmed Nasser Hussin, the 30-year-old Iraqi platoon commander from Al Nasiriyah, Iraq. �But, put it all together and we found a lot.�

The Marines and Iraqi soldiers found two heavy machine guns, two AK-47 and four SKS assault rifles, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, a sniper scope, four grenades, 10 sticks of PE4 explosive, more than 20 AK-47 magazines and more than 15,000 rounds. In the mix they located various weapons parts, mortar rounds and artillery rounds that could be used to make improvised explosive devices.

�I thought the operation worked out well,� said Gunnery Sgt. Anthony J. Easton, the 30-year-old platoon sergeant from Saint Cloud, Minn. �This is the first time I have worked with the Iraqis. They are a lot more disciplined than I expected.�

Marines and Iraqis worked diligently during the three days to ensure the countryside was no longer a haven for insurgent stockpiles.

�The insurgents hide munitions everywhere,� Freeman said.

Sgt. Mitchell trying out a looters' cart. We let the horse go across the street in a grass field.
photo courtesy of doghouse Photography

by Spc. Yancey Christopher Children watch a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle pass near the Rusafa school district administration building.

Photography by William Thompson

Photograph by William Thompson
Children play near soldiers from 2-7 IN B Company (tank), near the Rusafa school district administration building. The infantry company was very successful in helping to get the district administration building, and the schools in the area back up and running.

courtesy of Doghouse Photography

Photo courtesy of Doghouse Photography

Photo courtesy of Doghouse Photography

Photo courtesy of Doghouse Photography

March 31, 2006

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 34th Brigade Combat Team form up into the unit�s famed �Redbull� crest, during a farewell ceremony at Camp Shelby, Miss. The Soldiers, mostly from Minnesota, are deploying to Iraq. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

March 31, 2006

Soldiers from the 5th Iraqi Army Division and a Soldier from Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq conduct an operation that resulted in the capture of suspected terrorists near Taji. This photo appeared on www.army.m

April 3, 2006

Sgt. Angela Petty from the Military Transition Team, 2nd Brigade Combat Team and an Iraqi soldier, near Najaf, protect Iraqi civilians on their way to a religious pilgrimage. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

Pfc. Angie Huynh, from the 463rd Military Police Company, provides security as fellow Soldiers check on conditions inside the Al-Nasar Welsalam Iraqi Police station. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

April 7, 2006

Sgt. Edmund Susman, from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, attached to the I Marine Expeditionary Force, and an Iraqi soldier react after taking small-arms fire near an Iraqi Army recruiting office in Ar Ramadi. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

03/30/05 - A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron One Five One, Fighting Vigilantes takes off from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) during a snowstorm March 30, 2006. Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Two are currently under way in the Western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by.