Over the past two days Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces discovered and removed several caches and captured three suspected al-Qaida operatives across Ninewah province, due in part to local tips and cooperation from local citizens. On June 19, soldiers from 2nd Iraqi Army Division, and Coalition Forces from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment “Ghost” discovered pipe bombs, artillery shells, and between 200-400 lbs. of explosives during a raid at a house in west Mosul. Unknown gunmen engaged the Soldiers with small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire but were turned away by Coalition attack helicopters, armed with rockets.
Four hours later, and 50 miles south, soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division conducted a raid on a suspected explosives storage house in the village of Heschel. 2IA soldiers detained one suspect and discovered over 200 pounds of TNT, as well as other IED making materials.
Shortly after midnight, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division and 2-7 Cavalry detained a key suspected al-Qaida financier who had been operating in Mosul. Coalition Forces detained two more suspects during an early morning raid, June 20, in southeast Mosul, including a known IED maker and a weapons dealer from TalÂ’Afar.