Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070825-06
August 25, 2007

Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain rogue Jaysh al Mahdi leaders
Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army Forces, with U.S. Special Forces acting as advisers, detained two leaders of rogue elements of the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia during two intelligence driven operations Aug. 24 in Baghdad and in Taji.
 
In the first operation, Iraqi Army Scouts detained a suspected Shi’a extremist responsible for directing a criminal network of individuals who routinely attack Iraqi and Coalition Forces with improvised explosive devices and explosively formed penetrators in the New Baghdad area.

The leader is also linked to a Jaysh al-Mahdi cell responsible for extrajudicial killings of innocent Iraqis. The forces also detained a second suspicious individual during this raid.

In the second operation, members from the Iraqi Army 9th Division Reconnaissance team detained a Jaysh al-Mahdi company commander Aug. 24 in Taji.

Intelligence indicates that the suspected Shi’a extremist is responsible for emplacing explosively formed penetrators and improvised explosive devices to target Iraqi and U.S. Forces in the Taji area. The suspect is believed to be responsible for emplacing an EFP on July 26, 2007 that wounded 2 Coalition soldiers. 

The suspect is currently being detained for questioning about additional attacks which resulted in the deaths of several Iraqi and Coalition soldiers.

No Iraqi or U.S. Special Forces were injured in either of these operations.

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