Below is synopsis of media releases sent out by Multi-National Forces-Iraq Coalition Press Information Center in last 24-hours. These are provided to give everyone a broader perspective of the ongoing missions here in Iraq and how your mission here at BIAP is crucial to supporting the work “outside the wire.”
MND-B Soldiers find caches on route recon patrol
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, discovered two weapons caches while conducting a routine route reconnaissance patrol in southern Baghdad March 24.
Soldiers of Company B, 1-22 Inf. discovered the caches, consisting of 29 120mm mortar rounds, an 81mm round and a 60mm mortar round.
An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the cache
MND-B Soldiers discover multiple weapons caches
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, discovered a large weapons cache while conducting a search March 26.
The cache contained 129 120mm mortar rounds, 68 22mm mortar rounds, and six boxes of fuses.
Elsewhere, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found a weapons cache March 25 while conducting a patrol southeast of Iskandariyah.
The cache consisted of 292 hand grenades, 100 grenade fuses, five non-electric blasting caps, one partial timer, two 122mm artillery rounds, a bag of accelerant rods, three 25 pound bags of artillery propellant, two122mm propaganda rounds filled with leaflets and four ammo cans of unidentified content.
Iraqi Soldiers detain suspected terrorist, find cache
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi Army Soldiers detained a suspected terrorist and uncovered a weapons cache in Baghdad March 23.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, detained a suspected terrorist at a check-point at 6:30 p.m. in the Thawra district.
The detainee is on the Iraqi Army’s high-value target list.
Later in Al Mansour, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, supported by Soldiers from a 4th Infantry Division military transition team, discovered a weapons cache during a cordon and search at approximately 8:30 p.m.
The cache consisted of one 100 mm round, one 122 mm round, four 130 mm rounds, two 180 mm rounds, one anti-tank mine, 14 57 mm shell casings and three propane tanks.
Both incidents are under investigation by Iraqi authorities
Two Soldiers killed in al Anbar Province
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Two Soldiers assigned to 2/28 Brigade Combat Team died due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province March 23.
The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.
Terrorist suspect killed while planting roadside bombs
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Multi-National Forces – Baghdad Soldiers reported an audible explosion in southern Baghdad March 23.
Upon arrival, Soldiers from 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found remains of a man approximately 50 meters from emplaced mortar shells.
After an initial investigation, officials concluded the victim was possibly killed by a roadside bomb he was emplacing in a hole.
Soldiers also reported 15 holes lined up in a row, approximately two feet wide and six feet apart.
An explosive ordnance disposal unit was called to clear the area of other possible improvised-explosive devices.
This incident is under investigation by Iraqi authorities.
MND-B’s 1-67 AR finds weapons caches, detains terrorist suspect
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Elements of Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a weapons cache behind a small berm while conducting a route clearance west of the Euphrates River March 23.
The cache consisted of 26 rocket-propelled grenades.
The rounds were examined by an explosive ordnance disposal team and were determined to be training rounds, which are RPG rounds that consist of rockets without warheads.
The rounds were transported to Forward Operating Base Iskan.
Elsewhere, other elements of the 1-67 AR detained a terrorist suspect after finding a box of blasting caps in his yard while they were conducting a cordon and search mission southwest of Hazah.
MND-B Soldiers detain suspected terrorists, uncover weapons cache
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Multi-National Division- Baghdad Soldiers detained three suspected terrorists and uncovered a weapons cache south of Baghdad at approximately 12:30 a.m. March 23.
A patrol of Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained the suspected terrorists after a search of their home yielded a weapons cache.
The cache consisted of one AK-47 rifle, one 9mm with a magazine and box of ammunition, one air rifle, one Iraqi police uniform, one British uniform and an unknown amount of hypodermic needles.
The incident is under investigation.
Combined forces launch Operation Northern Lights to disrupt anti-Iraqi forces
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces, approximately 1,400 personnel, kicked off Operation Northern Lights March 22 to disrupt anti-Iraqi forces and to find and destroy terrorist caches in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad.
The joint and combined operation began with 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, moving to blocking positions by ground before Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, air assaulted onto the objective to conduct a cordon and search.
By late afternoon, approximately 400 Soldiers from the 3rd Bde., 6th Iraqi Army Div., discovered five weapons caches, containing a machinegun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, three AK-47 assault rifles, 2,200 PKC machine gun rounds, two boxes of gunpowder, a RPG rocket, an Iraqi police jacket, 18 106 mm tank rounds, 400 blasting caps, 40 artillery rounds, 17 pressure plate initiators, 20 Motorola radio initiators, and thousands of .50 caliber machine gun rounds. They also detained a suspected terrorist near one of the caches.
At another cache site, terrorists attacked Iraqi soldiers with small-arms fire, wounding one Iraqi policeman and an Iraqi child caught in the crossfire.
Iraqi soldiers returned fire, wounding and capturing a terrorist. All of the wounded were treated by Coalition Forces personnel.
Another cache found consisted of seven RPG launchers, 12 RPG rounds, 14 82 mm mortar rounds, two 120 mm mortar rounds, ten 155 mm rounds, a mortar bipod and 2,000 small-arms rounds, some of which were armor-piercing rounds. A suspected terrorist was detained at the site.
The combined forces continue to search for terrorists and bomb-making materials. So far through the operations, Iraqi and Coalition Forces have detained two persons of high-value interest and 16 suspected terrorists.
The operation is based on intelligence, including tips from local Iraqis, that terrorists are operating in the area and are stockpiling roadside bomb and truck bomb- making materials to prepare for future attacks in Baghdad
TIKRIT, Iraq – The combined operation involving Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police commandos and Coalition Forces wrapped up March 22 without any casualties and all of the tactical objectives met.
The mission began with the helicopter transport of approximately 1,500 Iraqi and Coalition Soldiers and Iraqi police commandos into a 10-by-10 square mile area northeast of Samarra March 16. The initial insertion aircraft and subsequent air security provided by the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade moved the force comprised of units from the 1st Commando Brigade, the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
The combined force moved through the area using intelligence and planning provided primarily by the Iraqi Security Forces. The operation resulted in 104 suspected insurgents currently being detained and questioned, and 24 caches discovered.
The caches included:
- Six shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles
- Over 350 mortar rounds and three mortar systems
- 26 artillery rounds
- A variety of IED-making materials and other military items
- Over 120 rockets
- Over 3200 rounds of small-arms ammunition
- 86 rocket-propelled grenades and 28 launchers
- Six landmines
- 12 hand grenades and 40 rifle grenades
- 34 rifles and machineguns of various types
All of the detainees are currently held in secured locations undergoing questioning.
All units have safely returned to their garrison locations and forward operating bases preparing for future operations.
Iraqi Army Soldiers find multiple weapons caches
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Elements of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, found five weapons cache sites west of Baghdad March 22.
The caches contained 17 pressure plate initiators, 18 106mm heat rounds, 400 blasting caps, 20 Motorola radios with timers, 40 artillery rounds of various sizes and a large amount of .50 caliber rounds.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team arrived on the scene and conducted a controlled detonation to eliminate the threat.
They're a joke even among their peers these days.
