Coalition and Iraqi forces captured 12 suspects and seized a dump truck transporting explosive materials during raids across Iraq the past two days. Also, an investigation into an operation yesterday revealed no Iraq police were killed or injured, as original reports indicated.
In Baghdad, two individuals were detained for allegedly providing and transporting car bomb materials for a network operating in the area. In Karmah, a village northeast of Fallujah, coalition forces detained six men with suspected ties to al Qaeda.
"These captures are another step in disrupting the terrorist networks operating in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
A preliminary investigation into a coalition forces raid yesterday in Ramadi revealed that three individuals killed and one wounded were not Iraqi policemen, as originally reported. Actual Iraqi police operating in the area were notified by coalition forces while they were planning the raid. Iraqi police in the area were again notified immediately before coalition forces entered the target area, military officials said.
In the course of the operation, ground forces began receiving intense small-arms fire from armed men in two separate buildings. Using appropriate self-defense measures, coalition forces returned fire.
The wounded individual identified the group as Iraqi police, and the individuals used a vehicle that resembled local Iraqi police vehicles. But the investigation later revealed the armed individuals were dressed in dishdashas, which is traditional male Arabic garb, and not in Iraqi police uniforms.
Later in the operation, coalition forces cleared another targeted building and detained seven suspected terrorists with alleged ties to al Qaeda in Iraq.
During several early morning raids in the Iraqi capital yesterday, Iraqi special operations forces detained a target suspected of leading a rogue criminal cell operating in northeast Baghdad. Iraqi special operations forces, with coalition advisors, raided several buildings in Sadr City where they captured the terrorist leader, military officials reported.
As they left their second objective area, combined forces received enemy fire. Iraqi forces returned fire, immediately suppressing the enemy. Two other suspects were detained by Iraqi forces during this operation.
Combined forces primarily targeted a suspect with alleged links to a criminal network called "Abu Dura." He is responsible for leading a kidnapping cell, conducting attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces, killing many innocent Iraqi civilians and launching rockets into parts of Baghdad, military officials said.
In Mushada yesterday, a dump truck overturned while attempting to deliver its payload of explosives and nitric acid.
A coalition patrol approached the driver of the overturned dump truck and offered assistance and found the vehicle loaded with nitric acid containers and explosives. The driver was taken into custody and confessed that he was paid to attack the Joint Security Station in Mushada, which also houses the town's Iraqi police station.
An explosive ordnance team was called to analyze and dispose of the truck's contents. The team discovered eight containers of nitric acid, eight directional fragmentation explosives devices and two large ordnance rounds.
The explosives and munitions discovered will be disposed of once they are carefully removed from the site, and the driver is being held for further questioning.
(Taken from a news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service that was compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases)
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