Bomb Cell Terrorists Caught Red-Handed

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
Release A070613c

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed two terrorists, detained 13 suspected terrorists and discovered a cache of weapons during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Baghdad car bomb network Wednesday.

Coalition Forces followed two terrorists they witnessed emplacing improvised explosive devices in Baghdad June 12, and raided their bed-down location. As Coalition Forces approached the building, the two known terrorists disregarded the interpreter’s instructions and approached the ground force. Reacting appropriately to the perceived threat, Coalition Forces engaged the two men, killing them.

Inside the building, Coalition Forces discovered a fully assembled IED. As they were disabling the IED, a person appeared and rushed toward the ground force. Coalition Forces, perceiving a possible explosive threat, engaged the individual with small arms fire. The individual, who was later determined to be a woman, was killed.

Also on the scene, Coalition Forces detained three suspected members of the Baghdad vehicle-borne IED network, which is responsible for conducting attacks on Iraqi civilians, as well as Iraqi and Coalition Forces. The ground force also destroyed two vehicles at the site that the terrorists used to transport personnel and explosives.

Based on information from the suspects, Coalition Forces moved to a follow-on location and found a cache of weapons and explosives, including chemicals used to build IEDs. An explosives team safely destroyed the materials on site.

During two coordinated operations near Fallujah, Coalition Forces raided a series of buildings linked to the activities of al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders. Eight suspected terrorists were detained for their connection to the al-Qaeda senior leader network.

In Tarmiyah, Coalition Forces captured one suspected terrorist who is believed to be a personal companion of a religious emir within the al-Qaeda network.

Coalition Forces tracked a suspected terrorist from Kirkuk who allegedly fled to Mosul after his close associates were captured. During a raid there, Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist for his ties to the targeted individual.

“We have disrupted the indiscriminate and deliberate attacks terrorists conduct against innocent Iraqis, and we’ll continue to target al-Qaeda in Iraq’s leadership and operatives,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson