Coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained 21 suspected terrorists Saturday and Sunday during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda in Iraq networks in the Tigris River Valley.In a village southwest of Samarra, Coalition forces conducted several coordinated operations Sunday targeting individuals believed to be close associates of an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader. As Coalition forces approached one of the target areas, an armed individual emerged and maneuvered toward a nearby palm grove. Perceiving a hostile threat, Coalition forces engaged the terrorist, killing him. As the ground force secured the area, another armed man emerged and maneuvered toward them. Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces engaged, killing him. Two of the targeted individuals and one suspected terrorist were also detained on site, including one individual who is allegedly responsible for attacks against Coalition forces. During the course of operations, four Iraqi civilians were injured, treated on site and transported to a military medical facility.
Nearby, Coalition forces targeted individuals believed to be members of a security network for an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader. During the operations, four of the targeted individuals were captured on site and three other suspected terrorists were detained.
Coalition forces also captured an individual believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq emir responsible for military, administration and financial matters in the village, and to have with ties to senior leadership. In addition to the targeted individual, two suspected terrorists were detained. One suspected terrorist was wounded during the operation when he jumped from a building to evade the ground force. The suspect was transported to a military medical facility.
In other operations, Coalition forces detained two suspects while targeting an associate to al-Qaeda in Iraq in the Arab Jabour area of Baghdad. In Mosul, Coalition forces captured an associate of several al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders who is believed to have ties to other extremist leaders in the area. The targeted individual identified himself to the ground force and two additional suspects were detained on site. Saturday, Coalition forces detained two additional suspects while targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders south of Tikrit. “Our operations are making it clear: there is nowhere for terrorists to hide in Iraq,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “We’re targeting all those who try to derail Iraq’s progress.”