U.S. Forces aiming to destroy al Qaeda in Iraq
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Following the airstrike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi earlier this week, U.S. forces have launched numerous raids from intelligence gathered both before and after the airstrikes, and are lining up to deal al Qaeda a fatal blow in Iraq after months of taking out Zarqawi operatives and leadership that culiminated with the killing of the al Qaeda leader.
Earlier Friday, a senior U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad said many items had been found in raids over the past two days based on intelligence gathered from Zarqawi's safehouse, which was flattened by two U.S. bombs on Wednesday. Maj. Gen. Bill Caldwell, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon by video-teleconference from his office in Baghdad, said that after 17 raids in the immediate aftermath of the airstrike, more were launched on Thursday.
On Friday, the U.S. military carried out 39 seperate raids in an effort to hunt down and destroy the al Qaeda network in Iraq. At last report, 25 suspected terrorists have been detained and one killed, while a wealth of intelligence has been gathered, including harddrives, memory sticks and other items.
Posted by C.S. Scott at June 9, 2006 04:33 PM
17 raids yesterday, 19 killed, 56 raids so far as of earlier today..