Terrorists Kill 17 Iraqis, Wound 40 in Attacks

March 1, 2006: In two days of terrorist attacks, 17 Iraqis were killed and more than 40 injured in two separate incidents in the Dora neighborhood in southern Baghdad Feb. 26 and 27, officials said today.

In the first incident, nine Iraqis were killed, an estimated 40 were wounded, and six houses were destroyed at about 6:30 p. m. Feb. 26 when a terrorist mortar attack impacted in Dora.

In northwestern Baghdad, eight Iraqis were killed and three were wounded Feb. 27 by two rockets that impacted on a car and a curb next to a primary school. Soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's 1st Battalion, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, rushed to the scene to assist the wounded.

Elsewhere, Iraqi police on patrol near Iskandariyah discovered a roadside bomb with a cell phone initiator concealed in a food sack. Terrorists paid a child to place the bomb along an Iraqi police foot patrol route, according to local witnesses.

In southwestern Baghdad, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered and safely detonated a large roadside bomb positioned by a mosque in Baghdad's Saydiyah neighborhood Feb. 28. Soldiers from 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, reported the bomb to Iraqi security forces. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called in to destroy the bomb, but couldn't do so safely because it was booby-trapped.

While an Iraqi public order brigade secured the area, the 10th Cavalry commander and Iraqi security forces contacted the imam of the mosque and explained the situation.

"The controlled detonation caused minimal damage to the mosque," a spokesman said. "Civil affairs teams will assist the imam in repairing the damage to the mosque. The 4th Brigade Combat Team civil engineers will also conduct a site assessment to assist in reconstruction efforts. "

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained a suspected terrorist and discovered a cache of weapons and U. S. and Iraqi currency southeast of Baghdad Feb. 28. Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team were conducting a cordon-and-search mission when they discovered a cache containing two AK-47 assault rifles, 16 AK-47 magazines, 100 9 mm rounds, 651,000 Iraqi dinar, 25 sheets of uncut 1,000 Iraqi dinar bills, $15,000 in U. S. currency, and five cell phones. (Above courtesy of DoD - American Forces Press Service)