February 1, 2007

Army Destroys Insurgent Stronghold in Diyala


By Sgt. Armando Monroig
5th Mobile Public Affairs

BALAD RUZ, Iraq, The U.S. Army concluded a massive, nine-day assault Jan. 13, centered on a series of small villages in the Diyala province that for the past 18 months had been used as a safe haven for insurgents.

During the operation, soldiers from the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment Reconnaissance, 82nd Airborne Division, killed more than 100 insurgents and detained 54 suspected of involvement with terrorism activities in the area, which is located just south of Balad Ruz.

The unit, located at Forward Operating Base Caldwell, also reported capturing six unnamed leaders of an underground organization thought to have ties to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups hiding in the villages of Turki, Hamoud, and 30 Tamuz.

In outlying palm groves and canals, soldiers found weapons caches containing more than 1,100 Katushya rockets, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, 500 mortars and a variety of bomb-making materials.

Sunni insurgents defended the area with small arms fire, anti-tank mines and improvised explosive devices.
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(Photo: Soldiers prepare to enter a series of small mud huts in the Tawillah region of Iraq. The 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment participated in an insurgent seek-and-capture-or-destroy mission that began Jan. 4 and lasted until Jan. 13. U.S Army photo Sgt. Armando Monroig )

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