Houston native, Pfc. Ivan Gallegos, a rifleman with Company C, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, pauses for a rest in front of an abandoned building in western Baghdad Thursday. Gallegos’ platoon found explosive-making materials and homemade explosives during a search of the property, which was subsequently destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team. The Soldiers, based out of Fort Stewart, Ga., operate in western Baghdad as part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. Photo by Spc. Leith Edgar, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Forces conducted an operation yesterday targeting the al-Qaeda emir of the northern belts around Baghdad, who is associated with deadly car bomb attacks in the city.

Surveillance indicated the senior leader and his associates had entered a building in a remote area. Coalition forces declared the target hostile and called in an air strike. Secondary explosions ignited after the initial strike, indicating there were explosives inside. Forces assess five terrorists were killed in the strike.

When ground forces approached the site to assess damage, a terrorist engaged them with small-arms fire. Countering in self-defense, forces returned fire and killed the armed man. The ground forces resumed their approach to the building but discovered multiple fighting positions, heavy machine guns, booby traps and vehicles wired with explosives. Coalition forces evacuated the area and called in air assets to destroy the enemy weapons.

Acting on intelligence gained from yesterday’s operation, Coalition forces conducted additional coordinated raids in the area this morning. During the first of those, forces used explosives to breach a door and enter a targeted building. A woman standing behind the door was killed in the explosion. Iraqis on the scene told Coalition forces her husband had told her to block the door from the Americans.

As ground forces secured the building, one man was discovered concealing himself in another room, armed with grenades and a rifle aimed at the assault force. Coalition forces engaged the armed man and killed him. As they secured additional buildings on the scene, a man rushed to a window and attempted to pull a rifle from behind the curtains. Forces reacted to the hostile threat by engaging the man and killing him.

During a raid on another building, ground forces brought the occupants of a building outside to secure the area. One man, after previously being compliant, turned and rushed back into the building. Coalition forces, perceiving a hostile threat, engaged the man and wounded him. He was treated on site and taken to a military medical facility for further treatment. He and six other suspected terrorists were detained during the raid.

Coalition forces detained three more suspected terrorists during raids on four more buildings in the area.

"Taking down the bombing network in Baghdad is a top priority for us," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman. "We will continue targeting the leaders who coordinate and execute murderous attacks on the Iraqi people."

(Story compiled from Multi-National Force-Iraq, Multi-National Corps-Iraq and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula news releases)

In other developments throughout Iraq:

•           Iraqi Security Forces and Paratroopers captured a suspected al-Qaeda terrorist wanted for a string of attacks against the security forces and citizens in North Babil during Operation Marne Avalanche Sunday.

•           Paratroopers captured a suspected rogue Jaish Al Mahdi (JAM) militia company commander wanted for a string of attacks using explosively formed projectiles, murder and intimidation against citizens in North Babil during Operation Marne Avalanche Sunday.