WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2006 – A combined U.S. and Iraqi patrol killed four insurgents yesterday, and in separate incidents Feb. 2, a U.S. team seized a weapons cache west of Fallujah and Multinational Division Baghdad forces detained three suspected terrorists, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.The insurgents were killed after they opened fire on U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers patrolling along the Euphrates River south of Hit. The combined patrol was conducting a cache sweep when the insurgents attacked with small-arms fire, officials said. U.S. and Iraq troops returned fire, killing four insurgents and detaining three others for questioning. One of the insurgents killed was wearing a suicide vest.
The patrol was part of Operation Smokewagon, which began Feb. 2. It's a 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) operation.