Dear Interested Readers,
The big news today was the capture of a high level criminal special groups leader. A lot more caches have been uncovered, and a torture house that will never be used to hurt people again. It gives us an insight into the inhumanity of these terrorists. Through pictures, we're taken along on a village clearing, seeing how our troops operate.
Joanna
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
March 7, 2008
Coalition forces detain alleged special groups leader
BAGHDAD - CF detained Hajji Shibl, an alleged top-tier criminal special groups leader, March 5 in the West Rashid district in southwestern Baghdad. He is suspected of being a key financier for criminal special groups who commit acts of murder.
The ISF and CF continue to capture or kill criminals who support these networks that conduct violent crimes against the Iraqi people.
"The honorable Iraqis in the surrounding neighborhoods are tired of those who choose to disobey the cease-fire directives from al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, and are determined to rid themselves of these criminals," said Col. Bill Buckner, MNC-I Public Affairs Officer.
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SoI, MND-C Soldiers find, raid torture house
FOB KALSU - Abna al-Iraq, or Sons of Iraq (SoI), led CF to an al-Qaeda-in- Iraq torture house and prison in northern Zambraniyah March 5. The op was based on intel provided by an SoI leader in the area.
"The guy wants to clean up the area," said Capt. Chris O'Brian, 6th Sqdrn, 8th Cav Regt, 4th BCT, 3rd ID. "AQI killed half his family."
The Abna al-Iraq leader, who heads a group of 300 SoI, worked with his men in support of Soldiers on the patrol. It began early in the morning as Soldiers cleared houses in an area suspected of harboring insurgents. During the initial phase of the mission, the group came under small arms fire by the enemy, observed wearing black.. As the patrol continued, the group discovered a man dressed in black in a suspected AQI safe house. The man was detained on suspicion of involvement in insurgent activities and the likelihood that he was involved in the earlier attack.
Intel indicated there may be an AQI prison or torture house in the town. That intel led Soldiers to a house full of materials used by AQI for torture. They discovered hand cuffs, an electrocution system and hanging hooks used for humans. Twelve interrogation books written in Arabic were found along with several sets of female clothing.
Soldiers of 6th Sqdrn, discovered an insurgent torture house.
Insurgent torture house.
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Citizens turn in large cache to MND-C Soldiers
FOB KALSU - Citizens in Arab Jabour unearthed a large weapons cache and turned it over to Soldiers from Co D, 1st Bn, 30th Inf Regt, 2nd BCT, 3rd ID at Patrol Base Red March 5.
The cache, which was loaded in a truck, consisted of 111 57 mm projectiles and 22 60 mm projectiles. Each projectile was rigged with detonation cord and packed with homemade explosives. The only thing missing was an initiation device, said Capt. Joseph Inge, cmdr, Co D.
The citizens who unearthed the rounds said they discovered them in a palm grove north of the patrol base.
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Tal Afar SWAT, U.S. SF recover weapons cache near suspected AQI training camp
BALAD - March 4, Tal Afar SWAT and U.S. SF conducted an op to recover asuspected cache connected with recent al Qaeda-in-Iraq activity in the area. The cache was discovered near a suspected AQI training camp that was the scene of a Tal Afar SWAT and U.S. SF op March 2. The op to disrupt AQI activity in the area resulted in 9 terrorists being killed and 8 suspected terrorists detained.
The cache was located in an abandoned village near the training camp. After investigating the buildings and surrounding area, SWAT and U.S. SF discovered the weapons and munitions in several underground hiding places.
SWAT and U.S. SF recovered more than 700 lbs of home-made explosives; 11 120mm high-explosive mortar rounds; 2 AK-47 assault rifles; 7 sights for RPG-7 rocket launchers; 2 Russian 120mm mortar rounds; a 122mm Chinese high explosive mortar round; 10, 82mm Chinese high explosive mortar rounds; 100 pounds of mortar propellant charges; 2 Belgian anti-personnel landmines; and various fuses.
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Iraqi SF recover large weapons cache in Jabella
BALAD - Jabellah IP recovered a large weapons and munitions cache in Jabella, south of Iskandariyah, March 4. An Iraqi police officer discovered the cache in a house in Jabella.
The op was deemed a success in that local and provincial Iraqi SF worked quickly and decisively to remove a significant cache from potential use by criminal and Special Groups in the area.
The cache consisted of 165 one-pound blocks of C-4 explosive, 19 rocket propelled grenades, 5 RPG launchers, a 60mm mortar tube, 3 rolls of detonation cord and 2 blasting caps for making IEDs, 25 107 mm high explosive rockets and 23 rocket fuses, 10 120 mm high explosive mortar rounds, 84 60 mm and 60 81 mm high explosive mortar rounds, along with 6 60 mm mortar fuses.
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ISF, SoI detain 4 AQI members
BAGHDAD - March 5, Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers along with SoI members from Qadisiyah, detained 3 AQI members in the Mansour security district.
IA Soldiers working together with SoI members from Ameriya detained an AQI member suspected of illegal activity in Mansour.
"Al Qaeda-in-Iraq is the number one enemy in Iraq, and ISF continue to add pressure on AQI, and eliminate and disrupt their activities in and throughout Baghdad. With ISF and SoI working side-by-side to provide a safe and stable Iraq, AQI will have no place to coordinate and carry out attacks against innocent Iraqi civilians," said Lt. Col. Steven Stover, MND-B spokesman.
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MND-N Soldiers clear village in Baqubah
Soldiers from 4th Bn, enter a house. The Soldiers cleared the village looking for weapons and members of suicide-vest cell operating in Baqubah.
Soldiers from 4th Bn, patrol a street with IP officers.
Soldiers from 4th Bn, provide security for Soldiers crossing a canal.
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Locals, SoI turn in weapons caches
FOB KALSU - Local residents and SoI turned over 4 weapons caches to Soldiers in separate ops in Arab Jabour March 4.
Local residents brought 2 caches to Soldiers from 1st Bn, 30th Inf Regt, 2nd BCT, 3rd ID, containing 3 120 mm projectiles, 4 liters of homemade explosives, 2 pressure plates, a propane tank with wires, 2 57 mm projectiles and another container filled with 20 pounds of unknown bulk explosives.
SoI members brought 2 caches to the Soldiers, consisting of 8 liters of HME, 2 pressure plates, a propane tank with wires, 2 57 mm projectiles, 2 120 mm mortars and 1 60 mm mortar.
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