Iraqi Security Forces
In an operation on January 7, members of the 6th Iraqi army division captured the leader of a cell responsible for kidnappings, murder, IED attacks, and car bombings.
Near Baqubah, soldiers of the 5th Iraqi army killed three insurgents during an operation to capture a cell leader. The Iraqi patrol came under fire from men exiting a mosque. They returned fire, killing three.
The 1st Iraqi army division assumed tactical command of the 2nd Brigade on January 9. The brigade will operate within Fallujah:
“We will be loyal soldiers to defend our precious country and to implement security and stability,” said Brig. Gen. Khalid Juad Khadum, the commanding general of 2nd Brigade. “And this will hit the pages of history in godly words, and we promise Allah that we will take care of this handover and to protect it, God willing, until the last drop of our blood, and Allah is a witness of what we say.”
The Iraqi police enlisted 301 recruits during a recent recruiting drive in Fallujah and Habbaniyah. The new recruits will undergo six-week basic training in Jordan. Another 400 were enlisted during a recruiting drive in Ramadi. The situation was far different last year:
One year ago a murderous intimidation campaign prevented local Iraqis from enlisting in Ramadi. Recruiting numbers for police were insignificant. More than 1,000 enlisted in the police force last month. Over 800 are expected to enlist in Anbar Province this month.
“The local tribes stood up to the intimidation campaign and are taking back their city from the terrorists,” said the Coalition spokesman in Ramadi Marine Maj. Riccoh Player.
“Hundreds of Iraqi Police are holding areas cleared by Iraqi and American forces in recent operation in the worst neighborhoods of Ramadi,” said Player.
“Building and manning a police station in Ramadi is what progress looks like in a counterinsurgency.”
Based on tips from Iraqi civilians, the Iraqi national police, with Coalition forces, detained ten and uncovered several weapons caches during an operation in Baghdad:
The operation was the result of tips from local citizens of possible insurgents and weapons caches in the neighborhood.
The national police seized three large weapons caches containing one rifle fitted with a silencer, one machine gun, one sniper rifle, assorted small arms ammunition and bomb-making materials.
In Fallujah, Iraqi police and army troops captured 47 insurgents during Operation Ar Bead. The operation was planned and executed by Iraqi troops, who have tamed the once restless city:
“The district police chief – this was his idea,” said Lt. Col. Race Roberson, the RCT-5 police implementation officer. “It was (an Iraqi Security Forces) operation; they were the owners of it.”
”The police are a strong force, and they will go anywhere at anytime in the city of Fallujah,” Roberson said.
The Iraqi army has begun a major operation in Baghdad. Thirty terrorists were reported killed on the first day, including five from Sudan.
The 2nd Division of the Iraq army is now operating independently of Coalition forces.
In Qasaiba, soldiers of the 5th Iraqi Army Division captured the leader of an insurgent cell operating in the area:
The insurgent cell leader is suspected of limiting the travel of Iraqi civilians in the area through intimidation and violent criminal activities. It is also believed the cell leader coordinates and conducts kidnapping, torture and murders of Iraqi civilians and security forces in the area.
On January 10, Iraqi soldiers rescued a kidnapping victim:
Working on a tip, Iraqi troops from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) searched for the kidnapping victim’s vehicle. They discovered it on a farm. Upon conducting a cordon and search of the farm, the soldiers found the kidnapped Iraqi in a farmhouse unharmed, with his hands tied.
Iraqi Special Security Forces captured two leaders of an insurgent cell during an operation in Al Doura. The cell is responsible for car bombings against civilians in Sadr City and IED attacks against Iraqi security forces.
In Tal Afar, Iraqi police killed four insurgents after they came under attack while on patrol. A later search of the area found a weapons cache consisting of 12 RPGs and two mortar shells.
Iraqi army special forces captured 19 during an operation targeting the leader of an insurgent cell responsible for attacks against Iraqi civilians and Coalition forces.
During two operations in Fallujah, Iraqi soldiers captured six members of al Qaeda. The men are suspected of involvement with IED attacks against Coalition troops and weapons trafficking.
Iraqi security forces joined Marines and U.S. soldiers in conducting a successful operation to clean up Ramadi:
Iraqi Army, police and Coalition forces seized hundreds of weapons and explosives during the operation, including three mortar systems, 101 mortar rounds, 90 pounds of explosives, eight rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 47 AK-47s, five Dragonov sniper rifles, 26 grenades, 26 mines, 34 artillery rounds, 12 rockets and other items used to attack Ramadi’s security forces and civilians.
During the operation 44 enemy combatants were killed and 172 suspected insurgents were detained.
The Iraqi army captured a high-level insurgent leader during a raid in Hajjan:
The suspect is allegedly an experienced IED builder and an illegal armed group member. He was believed to be training other illegal armed group members how to construct and employ IEDs.
Prime Minister al-Maliki has finally been convinced to drop his protection of the Mahdi army. The move came after U.S. officials convinced al-Maliki that the militia was infiltrated by Shiite death squads. In related news, Sadr’s political block is ending its two month boycott of parliament.
Two tips led Iraqi national police to a kidnapping victim and a sizeable weapons cache in Baghdad:
“This raid was planned and executed entirely by the Iraqi national police,” said Maj. Blaine Wales, the team chief for the 1st Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Transition Team.
The weapons cache consisted of 31 mortar and artillery rounds, 12 rolls of detonation cord, one can of ball bearings, three blocks of C4 explosive, 100 blasting caps and fuses, two completed improvised explosive devices, multiple batteries of all types, four handheld radios, nine cellular phones and seven completed electronic circuit boards similar to those found in roadside bombs.
In eastern Baghdad, an Iraqi patrol found an IED before it could be detonated.
In Baghdad, an Iraqi army patrol successfully fought its way out of an ambush:
While conducting a routine patrol in Baghdad’s Fahhama neighborhood, an element of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army was ambushed by a group of insurgents armed with pistols and AK-47s. The patrol immediately returned fire on the men attacking them.
Two insurgents were killed and four others wounded in the fire fight.
Tips from citizens led Iraqi police to two large weapons caches:
The first cache included fifteen 9mm TNT rounds, a dozen 90mm Composition A3 rounds, five 155mm High Explosive rounds, four artillery fuses, six 20mm rockets, and nine RPG rounds among other items. The second cache included two 105mm rounds rigged as improvised explosive devices.
Iraqi Police captured the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq’s cell in Samarra during an operation on January 18.
Iraqi forces captured two high-level insurgent commanders in separate raids:
Special Iraqi army forces, with coalition advisors, captured a high-level terrorist leader today during operations in eastern Baghdad, military officials said. The suspect is allegedly affiliated with Abu Dura and other Baghdad death squad commanders, and is responsible for assassinating numerous Iraqi security forces members and government officials. Military officials said he has also organized kidnappings, torture and murder of Iraqi civilians.
During operations in Samarra yesterday, Iraqi police forces with coalition advisors captured the suspected leader of several al Qaeda in Iraq terror cells. The suspect is responsible for directing several IED and small arms attacks against Iraqi security forces, coalition forces and Iraqi civilians. During the operation, combined forces captured an additional insurgent and confiscated IED components, assault rifles and ammunition.
In Morocco, security forces have disrupted a cell responsible for recruiting terrorists to fight in Iraq:
Moroccan security forces have dismantled a radical cell recruiting volunteers to fight in Iraq and arrested 26 people, the government said on Thursday.
In Tal Afar, Iraq forces discovered a tunnel leading below a house where they found a weapons cache consisting of 200 pounds of explosives, more than 125 rockets, and 2,500 rounds of ammunition.
Over at the Department of Defense website, a map of Iraq shows the progress made by Iraq’s army over the last year. “Green areas” indicate areas under control of Iraqi forces. The “green areas” increase significantly as the year progresses. Check it out.