Troops in Iraq Capture Terrorists, Weapons Caches

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2007 – Coalition forces in Iraq captured 10 al Qaeda-linked terrorists during operations in central and northern Iraq today, while yesterday other troops in Baghdad discovered a huge weapons cache, officials said.

-- Coalition forces captured a suspect linked to foreign terrorist senior leaders during an operation south of Samarra today.

-- Another four suspects were detained by coalition troops today during an operation south of Dawr. One of the detainees is linked to terrorist movements through northern Iraq, as well as money transfers from Baghdad through the Tigris River Valley.

-- Also today, coalition forces captured two suspected terrorists linked to al Qaeda in Iraq operations during a raid conducted south of Abu Ghraib.

-- Coalition forces detained three other suspects linked to al Qaeda in Iraq today during a raid south of Tarmiyah.

“We will remain on the offensive to root out al Qaeda in Iraq’s leaders,” said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “The disruption to their supply of funds and their foreign terrorist network impedes their ability to conduct operations and attack innocent Iraqis.”

Yesterday, U.S. forces seized a large quantity of enemy weapons, munitions and other contraband during raids conducted in the western Hawr Rajab district near Baghdad as part of Marne Torch II operations.

Weapons confiscated included: one suicide vest, a helicopter-missile tube, 11 empty and one loaded AK-47 rifle magazines, one grenade and grenade fuse assembly, one mortar charge, 145 machine gun rounds, four magazines, 150 9 mm rounds, five 7.62 mm magazines, 253 25 mm rounds, a 25 mm anti-aircraft gun and extra barrel pieces, 54 .50-caliber tracer rounds, 11 23 mm barrels and six 23 mm receivers, four bags of powder, and a box of explosives.

Other seized contraband included: three walkie-talkies, anti-coalition propaganda, a weapons rack, a freezer, six propane tanks, maps, a disabled motorcycle, eight license plates, a machine gun stand, 100 feet of wire, one spool of wire, one bag of nine-volt connectors, and a Canadian night-vision goggle set.

Also yesterday, coalition forces captured a total of 20 suspected al Qaeda in Iraq agents during a series of raids across Iraq.

-- An al Qaeda in Iraq suspect linked to providing funds to senior terrorist leaders was detained during operations south of Samarra. Five other suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.

-- Coalition forces netted three more suspected al Qaeda in Iraq agents during a raid in Ramadi.

-- Other coalition units captured eight more suspected terrorists during an operation south of Tarmiyah.

-- Coalition forces detained three al Qaeda in Iraq-linked suspects during a raid in Tikrit.

Officials reported yesterday that Iraqi and U.S. forces in Baghdad’s Rashid district detained 34 suspects and seized weapons caches over the past three days as part of Operation Dragon Talon II. Seven caches, containing 107 mm and 76 mm rockets, artillery, mortar shells, and numerous small arms and ammunition were confiscated.

In Oct. 13 operations:

-- Coalition forces killed three terrorists during an anti-al Qaeda in Iraq operation southwest of Samarra. An enemy weapons cache was found during the operation.

-- U.S. soldiers discovered two powerful bombs and two weapons caches in the Karada district in eastern Baghdad. The caches contained: 17 mortars, four rockets, three rocket-propelled-grenade warheads, one AK-47 rifle, one machine gun, and four Iraqi army uniforms.

-- Iraqi soldiers with U.S. military advisors detained an al Qaeda in Iraq leader involved with the Abu Ghazwan terrorist network during a raid near Taji. The detainee is considered part of the Abu Ghazwan terrorist cell and is suspected of directing assassinations, kidnappings and torture activities.

In Oct. 12 operations:

-- Iraqi soldiers detained an al Qaeda in Iraq leader and an associate during operations in the Taji area. The detainees are suspected of committing bombings against coalition patrols. Two other alleged al Qaeda agents also were detained.

-- U.S. soldiers captured 13 suspected al Qaeda leaders as part of Operation Benelli conducted in Baghdad’s Arab Jabour neighborhood. Seized contraband included: a suicide vest, four grenades, three AK-47 rifles, 18 magazines, improvised explosive device-making materials and counterfeit identification cards.

-- Iraqi police captured the triggerman of a terrorist bombing that killed one Iraqi civilian and injured 10 children in Tuz. The captured terrorist was injured by the explosion of his bomb.