Coalition Forces killed two terrorists and detained 10 suspected terrorists during operations Friday and Saturday targeting senior leaders of al-Qaeda in central and northern Iraq. Coalition Forces conducted a precision operation in a rural area southwest of Balad Friday targeting associates of a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Coalition Forces followed the suspected terrorists' vehicle and attempted to get the driver to stop. The driver refused to comply with Coalition Forces, and appropriately escalated their level of force, firing on the vehicle to stop it. Both the driver and the passenger were killed in the operation. Southeast of Hawija Saturday, Coalition Forces detained two suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to a local area emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Intelligence reports indicate this cell was attempting to establish a terrorist hub in the area, and is linked to the Jul. 16 suicide truck bombing that killed 80 Iraqis in Kirkuk.
During operations Friday in Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured an individual believed to be a senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq who operates in the Yusufiyah area. A Saturday operation north of Tarmiyah netted six additional suspected terrorists allegedly tied to al-Qaeda in Iraq. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq struggles while our operations continue to assault its leadership and rank-and-file," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson. "The Iraqi people have made it clear they do not want terrorism in their country."