Coalition Forces Detain 18 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq

Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Coalition forces detained 18 suspected terrorists during raids around Iraq Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders and their network by exploiting information from previous operations.
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Coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists southeast of Taji Wednesday morning for their ties to an alleged senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader. Intelligence reports indicate the alleged senior leader is an explosives expert and has just been promoted to make up for the degradation of the network after several recent arrests by Coalition forces.
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Information gained from successful operations on Apr. 29 led Coalition forces to four individuals north of Karmah, who were detained for their suspected involvement with the al-Qaeda in Iraq command network. In related operations near Baghdad and Ramadi, Coalition forces detained seven more suspected terrorists allegedly tied to the same network.
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Coalition forces detained three individuals in Mosul Tuesday afternoon for suspected ties to al-Qaeda senior leadership there.
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“We’re continuing to build on our successes to disrupt the al-Qaeda in Iraq network and stop their merciless and murderous attacks against the Iraqi people,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.
(Taken from press release #A070509b by MNF-I - Combined Press Information Center, Baghdad, Iraq)