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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Task Force Ironhorse operations P.1 |
| 2004-03-05 |
| Task Force Ironhorse soldiers from the 558th Engineer Group conducted a raid east of Baqubah Wednesday. They captured two individuals, including one individual suspected in emplacing an IED at the Baqubah governor’s building Monday. Iraqi Police and 4th Infantry Division soldiers apprehended Sami Ahmed in a joint raid. Ahmed is the suspected leader of a local Wahabi terrorist cell and former Iraqi Intelligence service officer. 588th Engineer Battalion soldiers apprehended Ahmed along with 13 individuals. Nine of the 13 were specifically targeted as suspects in attacks against U.S. forces in the area. Soldiers also confiscated six AK-47 assault rifles, one pistol, two bolt-action rifles and documentation including a CD-ROM. 4th Infantry Division soldiers from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment captured three suspected members of a local terrorist cell near Tarmiyah during a raid Thursday. The primary target was not at the residence, but the soldiers detained the other men for questioning. The Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and coalition forces searched a bunker south of Muqdadiyah and discovered a cache of weapons Wednesday during a joint raid. The coalition forces captured six individuals. Four individuals were released after initial questioning, but two individuals were detained. The cache consisted of one DHsK machine gun, one RPK machine gun with parts, two 60 mm mortar systems, one 60 mm mortar base plate, six RPG launchers, seven RPG rounds, 35 hand grenades, 35 sticks of plastic explosives, two 120 mm mortar rounds, 10 82 mm mortar rounds, 20 60 mm mortar rounds, seven blasting caps, one artillery fuse, 230 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, one bayonet and one IED-making kit. A Task Force Ironhorse OH-58D helicopter reconnaissance team identified a broken-down flatbed truck while conducting reconnaissance along Highway 1 west of Abachi. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment investigated and were told by the driver that he was contracted to transport munitions, but no documentation was available. A search of the vehicle revealed 250 155 mm rounds that had been hollowed out. While questioning the driver, six more trucks arrived. The drivers’ stories were confirmed, and they were released following questioning. Task Force Ironhorse soldiers assigned to 341st Military Police Company located a cache of 25 130 mm tank rounds near a destroyed tank approximately 12 kilometers south of Ad Dujayl Thursday. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion 68th Armor Regiment and Explosive Ordinance Detachment secured the cache and transported the rounds for destruction. 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment reported hearing several rounds impact on Forward Operating Base Ironhorse Thursday. One round detonated and two were duds. There were no casualties or damage to equipment because of the attack. EOD removed one of the dud rounds and destroyed it in a nearby parking lot because it had a damaged fuse and was deemed unsafe to transport. The 1st Squadron, 10 Armored Cavalry Regiment dispatched a quick-reaction force to the location where the mortar fire originated. No personnel or equipment were found during an initial search. However, a later raid on a house in the area from which the mortars were fired resulted in the capture of six individuals suspected in the attack. |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #2 There is an unusual statement buried in this report. It mentions a "wahabi terrorist cell" run by a former Iraqi Intel officer. First, Wahabi is being used indiscriminately, because the author either means Salafist, Islamist, or simply doesn't know what he's talking about. It could mean that the cell was receiving supportfrom Saudi Arabia, but I doubt it. Also, if there is a former intel officer in charge of a Wahabi (or Salafist, Islamist, Muslim Fundamentalist) cell, how did he slip through the vetting process that the Iraqia intelligence used to screen out such people?? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2004-3-5 7:08:47 PM |
| #1 Jeez.... I hope if the Chineee every invade the US Army will remember to bury a lot of good stuff. I'd especially like to have several MLRS systems for neighborhood defense. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-5 4:51:19 PM |