Attack helicopter pilots, supporting Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, killed three extremists and wounded two others during an air assault into a suspected enemy sanctuary the night of Oct. 3 near Al-Bawi.
Soldiers from Company A conducted the raid to disrupt insurgent activity along the Tigris River north of Salman Pak. An attack aviation element from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade provided aerial support with two AH-64 Apaches, while the 4th Battalion, 3rd CAB provided helicopters to move the Company A Soldiers to their target.
The Al-Bawi area is very well protected by the enemy with deep-buried improvised explosive devices along the main routes, said Maj. John Cushing, from Rochester, Mich., the 1-15th Inf. Regt. operations officer. An air assault operation is a great way to reach areas like Al-Bawi to confirm or deny enemy sanctuaries.
While Company A Soldiers were clearing three groups of houses, pilots from 1-3rd CAB identified five armed individuals moving toward the Company A Soldiers.
The 1-3rd CAB pilots were able to kill three during their initial engagement and the Company A Soldiers later detained two individuals. Last night, we were able to kill armed insurgents attempting to flee the area, said Cushing. We showed the enemy, once again, that we can reach out and touch them at the time and place of our choosing. 
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