Pat Dollard | Young Americans

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained four suspects today during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq.

During an operation west of Muqdadiyah, Coalition forces targeted a known al-Qaeda in Iraq meeting location for the network operating in the northeast Diyala River Valley region. As the ground force arrived in the target area, an armed terrorist engaged them from a building the rooftop. Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces engaged and killed him.

Continuing to clear the target area, the ground force entered one of the buildings and encountered two armed men. Coalition forces engaged the perceived hostile force, killing the terrorists. Inside the building, the ground force discovered a weapons cache which included several machine guns and magazines, grenades, a mortar and military style assault vests. Coalition forces assessed the building to be structurally unsafe and destroyed it, along with the weapons inside, to prevent further use for terrorist activities. Two suspected terrorists were also detained during the course of operations.

In Baghdad, Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist who is reportedly an associate of the al-Qaeda in Iraq car bomb cell leader in Karkh. The cell leader allegedly was involved in the manufacture of a car bomb that was used in an attack in Baghdad Dec. 20 that resulted in two Iraqi civilians being killed. During the operation, the wanted individual identified himself to the ground force and was subsequently detained.

The al-Qaeda in Iraq network in the capital city, including Karkh, is operating in a degraded state following recent Coalition operations in the region. These operations resulted in the capture of a suspected key leader for the al-Qaeda in Iraq network south of Baghdad, who was detained Jan. 10, and several suspected Karkh network leaders, who were detained Dec. 7 for their alleged role in planning a spectacular suicide car bomb attack in the city.

During an operation farther north in Mosul, Coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq member believed to be associated with senior leaders of the terrorist network in the eastern part of the city. Several of the suspect’s associates reportedly have direct ties to the al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The operation builds on several recent Coalition successes which have degraded the network in Mosul, to include operations Dec. 14 and Jan. 6, which resulted in the detention of several key senior leaders in the network.

“We will continue to find the terrorist networks that threaten the security and safety of the Iraqi people and take them apart,” said Navy Capt. Vic Beck, MNF-I spokesman. “We will not allow al-Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists to take back the hard fought gains Iraqi and Coalition forces have achieved.”

(MNF-I)