Hostages freed, 3 weapon caches seized in northern Iraq

ARNEWS ^ | Jan 12, 2005 | Task Force Band of Brothers

[SandRat]

TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 12, 2006) – Two kidnapped Iraqi men were freed, three weapons caches discovered and 21 anti-Iraqi suspects were detained in northern Iraq Jan. 11.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division were patrolling Wednesday afternoon in Khadasia when they surprised a group of men gathered around two vehicles. The vehicles raced away as the patrol approached.

One vehicle escaped, but the Iraqi troops were able to stop the second.

The Soldiers quickly disarmed the two suspects and searched the vehicle. The victims were found bound and gagged in the car’s trunk.

Iraqi and coalition forces are investigating the incident, officials said.

Weapons found in Tal Afar

Soldiers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment conducted a raid against a suspected anti-Iraqi forces cell in Tal Afar just after midnight Wednesday. The unit discovered two mortar rounds, a large supply of small arms ammunition and a home-made mine. Seven men were detained at the site.

Stryker troops strike in Mosul

Two separate raids in Mosul by Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team resulted in the capture of eight AIF suspects, including one believed to be involved with mortar attacks against civilian targets in the area.

Two other Mosul residents are being credited with discovering a cache of anti-tank mines after reporting what they believed to be an improvised explosive device to local police. Police officers secured the area and an Iraqi explosive ordnance disposal unit responded and found 20 AT mines and an artillery round.

EOD called in Kirkuk

Another Iraqi EOD team in Kirkuk was called in Wednesday morning to dispose of a collection of old munitions discovered in the back of a truck. Eighteen artillery shells and two mortar rounds were safely destroyed.

Weapons cache found in Tikrit

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division captured three suspects near a weapons cache in the Tikrit area Wednesday afternoon. The cache, consisting of mortar rounds and rockets, was discovered near an area where numerous rocket and mortar attacks have originated.

An ineffective rocket attack against a base near Balad led to the capture of three more AIF suspects. Soldiers from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division stopped the suspects’ vehicle after a coalition aircraft observed them trying to flee the area.

(Editor's note: Information provided by Task Force Band of Brothers.)

[SandRat]

A Soldier from 1-187th Infantry, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division, and his interpreter, check the identification of a local citizen of Bayji, near Tikrit, Iraq, during a random vehicle inspection while on early morning patrols, Jan. 10. Spc. Jose Ferrufino

[SandRat]

1-187th Infantry, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division PING

[SJSAMPLE]

GO ARMY !!!

[Irish Eyes]

Good news bump

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Allegra]

Gosh...I wonder why Associated Press or Reuters aren't reporting this? ;-)