Coalition Forces Find Explosives Cache, Detain 15

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
Release A070524a

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained 15 suspected terrorists and destroyed a cache of explosives during operations Thursday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Coalition Forces called in an air strike near Salman Pak after they raided a house there and found a cache of mortars, dynamite and jihadist media. They were targeting individuals known to supply foreign fighters to suicide attack cells in Baghdad. A search of the buildings revealed no people were present, and the ground force cordoned off the area, where the explosives were safely destroyed.

Information from successful operations in the last five days led Coalition Forces to three buildings in Karmah, where they targeted an al-Qaeda leader. Near the first target, Coalition Forces found four suspected terrorists hiding outside the building and detained them. In the other buildings, they found six more suspected terrorists. All were detained for their alleged association with a suspected al-Qaeda emir and anti-aircraft attacks.

Coalition Forces raided a building east of Ameriyah while targeting an improvised explosive device cell in the area. Four individuals were detained for their suspected involvement in the cell.

In Mosul, Coalition Forces detained a suspected terrorist who is allegedly the leader of an al-Qaeda group in the area.

“We continue to target al-Qaeda in Iraq’s leaders and its manpower resources,” said Lt Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson. “Each operation contributes to eventual security for the people of Iraq.”