| Heartwarming graphic at the link |
The latest Coalition raid in Miqdadiyah occurred on January 3, resulting in seven al Qaeda fighters killed. Coalition special forces, part of Task Force 88, the hunter-killer teams assigned to hunt al Qaeda's networks "targeted associates of an al Qaeda in Iraq leader allegedly responsible for coordinating and directing a large terrorist group, and carrying out executions in the Diyala River Valley region." Coalition forces called in an air strike on a safe house, killing two al Qaeda operatives. Five additional al Qaeda terrorists were killed in a follow on raid.
In other operations on January 3, Iraq soldiers captured "a high ranking commander in al Qaeda's network" in Diyala province, Voices of Iraq reported. The "Iraqi Army 5th Division, 2nd Brigade troops managed to capture a high ranking commander in al Qaeda's network called NuÂ’aman al Ubaidi in a military operation conducted at Tahweelah village belonging to Khalis, 15 [kilometers] north of Baqubah," Staff General Salem al Mandalawi, the 5th Division commanding officer told Voices of Iraq. Ubaidi "worked as a lieutenant in the 5th Division, before leaving the army and joining al Qaeda members." Two US soldiers were also killed and one wounded during operations in Diyala province, Multinational Forces Iraq reported.