About Photo: Lance Corporal Hargreaves from A Company 1 Staffords examines a vehicle containing illegal munitions and delivery systems.British troops in southern Iraq have conducted a reactive strike operation against rogue militia elements following an attack on a Multi National Forces (MNF) base in Basrah City on Saturday.
The operation, codenamed Operation Phoenix, was launched after an Indirect Fire attack on Basrah Palace.
Those involved in the attack were observed and tracked to a building west of the Al Jameat district of Basrah City. An operation to secure this location was quickly launched.
On their way to carrying out the raid the soldiers, from the 1 Staffords Battlegroup, came under attack from small arms fire and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) but the patrol continued to its target.
At just after midnight local time, UK troops launched the operation on the property, where it was believed illegal weapons and ammunition were being stored.
The raid uncovered a significant arsenal of ammunition, weapons and bomb-making equipment, hidden in a vehicle at the property.
These included a 107mm rocket, 6 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), some of which were still in their primary packaging, a mortar launcher and a number of 60mm mortars.
In addition various items of equipment associated with the use of such materials were also found. Whilst carrying out the raid, troops came under further attack.
Major David Gell, the UK military spokesman in southern Iraq, explained the significance of this operation.
"Op Phoenix was a short-notice, reactive strike operation launched as a direct result of information gained after an attack made on a Multi National Forces base earlier in the evening," Gell said.
He explained how important he believes operations of this nature are to bringing stability and security to the streets of Basrah: "In terms of what was found at the property, there’s no doubt that the operation was a success. The fact that we found these weapons and equipment, which could well have been used for either mortar attacks or for producing roadside bombs against MNF soldiers, means that we have certainly disrupted rogue militia elements.” Gell said. "It will also mean that there are less weapons on the streets, which in turn can only make the streets safer for the people of Basrah.
"Above all I believe the operation demonstrates the ability of UK forces to deal with the threat of Indirect Fire on its bases robustly and swiftly. These people now know that if they attack us we can strike back quickly and effectively."
(Taken from news article by MNF-I – Photo courtesy of Ministry of Defence)
No comments:
Post a Comment