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Iraqi Police in Ramadi discover large weapons cache |
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Monday, 05 February 2007 |
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Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070206-03
Feb. 6, 2007
Iraqi Police in Ramadi discover large weapons cache
Multi-National Force – West PAO
RAMADI, Iraq – Members of the Albu Obaid Iraqi Police station discovered one of the largest weapons cache in the last year while conducting dismounted patrols in eastern Ramadi Feb. 3.
The cache consisted of over 300 82mm mortar rounds, three 152mm artillery rounds, two bags of homemade explosives, two Katyusha 107mm rockets, in addition to other items which included a mortar base plate, a spool of copper wire used for detonating improvised explosive devices and various smaller caliber ammunition.
“The Coalition and ISF have discovered many weapons caches over the last six months, but none of this magnitude, said Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “This represents about a six month supply of enemy mortar ammunition. The recent additions to the local Iraqi Security Forces have proven to be a tremendous asset in the fight against the terrorists in and around Ramadi.”
Since the beginning of January, the pace of cache finds by Iraqi Police and Emergency Response Units in the 1/1 AD area of operation has risen dramatically. In just two months, the Iraqi Police and the Emergency Response Units have found almost 600 mortar rounds of various sizes, 35 large artillery rounds and rockets, 15 IEDs and two missiles. The IPs have accounted for over 80 percent of the munitions discovered in this time period.
“I’ve been on multiple patrols and seen a lot of stuff, but the thing that excites me the most about this is that the Iraqis are stepping up to the plate on their own. I mean, we found over 60 caches last month of which 35 were found by the Iraqi Security Forces. This is the kind of thing that is going to get me home,” said SPC Stephen Steed, a 21-year-old Portland, Indiana native responsible for mentoring Iraqi policemen.
“The success of the cache discoveries by the Iraqi Police in the last month can be attributed to the increase of locally recruited Iraqi police officers getting out there beating the streets, looking for the bad guys and tips received from the local citizens throughout Ramadi,” said Major Eric Remoy staff officer for 1-1 AD. Our cache finds six months ago typically consisted of one or two small weapons caches per week. The strength of the Iraqi Police in the Ramadi area has grown approximately 1100 percent in the last six months. We are now finding caches at a rate of two caches per day, or a 600 percent increase.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR HIGH-RES PHOTOS, CONTACT MULTINATIONAL FORCE – WEST, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER BY E-MAIL AT
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