Sgt. James Bowlby, a squad leader with Bravo Company, 1-12 Combined Armed Battalion, and Soldiers from the 5th Iraqi Army secure weapons found during a cordon-and-search mission in Baqubah, Iraq, June 21, 2007. This mission was a part of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, a joint effort between Iraqi and Coalition forces to defeat al-Qaeda forces and secure the city. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Anthony White, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Iraqi security forces and U.S. Soldiers operating in Baqubah continued to clear the city of insurgents Wednesday while providing humanitarian aid to its citizens as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continued.

Arrowhead Ripper is one of several operations that are part of an overall offensive against insurgents in Iraq dubbed Operation Phantom Thunder, which began June 15, once all "surge" troops were in place.

Iraqi and U.S. security forces have provided Baqubah’s citizens about 265,000 pounds of rice and flour, more than 10,000 vegetarian rations, and thousands of bottles of water since the operation began.

At least 60 al-Qaeda operatives have been killed, 74 have been detained, 31 weapons caches have been discovered, 81 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed and 18 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed since the operation began.

U.S. helicopter crews returned ground fire and killed one insurgent and wounded another during an engagement south of Baghdad June 26. Two AH-64 Apache helicopters assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade were fired on by insurgents inside a building. The helicopters returned fire with 30 mm rounds. Paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, were called to search the building and immediate area for insurgents. The wounded insurgent was taken to a local hospital for treatment and will be taken into custody by the Iraqi army.

In other news, Iraqi police from Khalis broke up a gunfight between Iraqi residents of two neighboring villages June 26. The police were dispatched in response to reports that al Koubat villagers were being attacked by members of the Tohoyla village.

The gunfire stopped upon the arrival of the Iraqi police, who discovered that four local Iraqis had been killed and 19 others were wounded. Two Iraqi police were wounded during the altercation. The police secured the scene, provided first aid and transported the wounded to Khalis’s local hospital for further treatment.

In other news, U.S. Soldiers found 11 roadside bombs and defeated insurgent attacks while patrolling Baghdad’s Rashid district June 25 and 26.

“The continued discovery of roadside bombs before they can be used against innocent Iraqis or our forces is a strong indication that the people are growing tired of the violence in Rashid,” U.S. Army Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of the 1st Infantry Division’s 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, said.

The U.S. troops defeated enemy forces in two separate engagements in East Rashid over a 24-hour period. Several extremists shot at a U.S. patrol on June 26. American helicopters fired on and killed two extremists. A third extremist was wounded and later detained. Troops detained four more suspects for further questioning.

(Compiled from Multi-National Corps-Iraq news releases.) 

In other developments throughout Iraq:

Khalis Police responded to a gunfight between two neighboring villages, stopping the fighting and providing initial aid to the wounded villagers Tuesday.

Leaders from the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment met with local town leaders at the Besmaya Range Complex June 26 to discuss projects and security issues.