MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
PRESS DESK
BAGHDAD, Iraq
http://www.mnf-iraq.com
703.343.8790

Aug. 27, 2007
Release A070827b

Coalition Forces disrupt al-Qaeda; 8 terrorists killed, 16 suspects detained

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed eight terrorists and detained 16 suspected terrorists Monday during operations targeting key leaders and facilitators in the al-Qaeda in Iraq network in central and northern Iraq.

During a raid west of Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured an individual believed to have worked with a terrorist killed Aug. 26 to coordinate the employment of three suicide bombers for an upcoming attack in an unknown location.  As the assault force approached the target building, they received small arms fire from adjacent buildings.  Three armed men ran out of the adjacent building toward the assault force.  Coalition Forces responded in self-defense, killing the three armed men.  Three more armed men ran from another nearby building toward the ground forces’ security element.  Coalition Forces again responded by killing the three attackers.

In addition to the suspected suicide bomber coordinator, Coalition Forces detained three individuals for their alleged ties to the foreign terrorist facilitation network in the southern belts around Baghdad.  The ground forces also found several munitions and bomb-making materials at the scene, which an explosives team safely destroyed.

Coalition Forces killed a leader of an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell in the Arab Jabour area and one of his associates during an operation north of Salman Pak.  When Coalition Forces secured the target building, surveillance elements observed two men moving into some reeds and taking up tactical fighting positions against the assault force.  Iraqis in the target building warned Coalition Forces that the men in the reeds were armed.  Coalition Forces, responding to defend against the hostile threat, called in close air support and engaged the armed men, killing both.  One of the men was identified as the targeted individual, who operated an illegal terrorist court system, smuggled weapons, extorted money from local Iraqis and conducted bombing attacks against Coalition Forces.

Coalition Forces conducted three operations continuing to target senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq in north-central Iraq.  Based on intelligence from an operation Aug. 18, Coalition Forces captured an alleged terrorist senior leader during a raid south of Kirkuk.  The suspect is believed to have close ties to other senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and also is believed to facilitate the movement of foreign terrorists into the country.  The ground forces detained six additional suspected terrorists during the raid.
 
During operations near Ba’ajah and Muqdadiyah, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists for their alleged involvement with senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq.  The ground forces found munitions and machine guns on the scene near Ba’ajah and safely destroyed the cache.

“We will not rest until we have impeded al-Qaeda in Iraq’s ability to conduct its indiscriminate attacks against the Iraqi people,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.  “Each operation provides us with that next piece of intelligence we need to target, capture and eliminate the terrorist threat in Iraq.”

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