Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News_Release.asp?NewsRelease=20051005.txt
NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894
October 3, 2005
Release Number: 05-10-05
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPERATION IRON FIST UPDATE
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq – The first day of Operation Kabda Bil Hadid, or Iron Fist in English saw several successful engagements against al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists operating in and around Sadah, approximately 12 kilometers east of the Syrian border.
The operation continues with a force of approximately 1,000 Marines, Soldiers and Sailors from Regimental Combat Team-2. Coalition Forces, including helicopters from 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, engaged and killed eight armed terrorists in fighting early in the day Oct. 1.
During another engagement, terrorists drove two vehicles in the vicinity of a Marine position, dismounted and began to attack with small-arms fire. One of the vehicles was found to be rigged with explosives. The gun battle left four terrorists dead. The fifth surrendered to the Marines.
In the late morning, Marines discovered and destroyed a roadside bomb on the outskirts of Sadah. Shortly afterwards, a M1A1 Main Battle Tank destroyed a vehicle car bomb with one round from its main gun southwest of the city. North of Sadah, U.S. Forces killed three al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists after the group attacked their checkpoint with small-arms fire.
The eighth terrorist was killed when an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter destroyed a vehicle after its driver fired on a Marine position with a rocket-propelled grenade. Another vehicle traveling with the attacker was seen to be carrying additional RPGs and was subsequently destroyed by missile fire from the Cobra. The driver and passenger escaped the blast.
No Marine casualties have been reported.
The goal of the operation is to root out al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists operating within the area and disrupting terrorist support systems in and around Sadah.
The offensive is part of an overall operation called Sayaid or Hunter in English, which is intended to deny al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists the ability to operate freely in the Euphrates River Valley and to prevent the terrorists from influencing the local population through murder and intimidation.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-WEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE AT CEPAOWO@CEMNF-WIRAQ.USMC.MIL.
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Note: The following text is an exact quote:
---
http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News_Release.asp?NewsRelease=20051007.txt
NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894
October 3, 2005
Release Number: 05-10-07
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IRAQI, U.S. FORCES SEIZE TERRORIST WEAPONS, BOMBS
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers found five weapons caches hidden in north Baghdad Sept. 30.
The largest discovery was made by combat engineers from the 70th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division at a house in north Baghdad.
The unit captured two suspected terrorists at the house around 8 a.m. and began a search of the area. In just over two hours, the Soldiers discovered three weapons caches containing nine missiles, seven rocket launchers, 20 rockets, 69 mortar rounds, more than 300 rocket-propelled grenades, and 119 hand grenades.
They also found a wide assortment of artillery rounds and bomb-making materials, including 53 detonators, 42 time fuses, three machine guns, several types of rifles, scopes, pistols and ammunition.
At 6 p.m., Iraqi Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) found a fourth weapons cache while patrolling in north Baghdad. The cache consisted of 20 mortar rounds and bomb-making materials, including five pounds of plastic explosives, one box of rocket fuses, cut lengths of wire, two remote-controlled detonation devices and an instruction book on how to build bombs.
Minutes later in a different area of north Baghdad, a Task Force Baghdad patrol found the fifth cache. The cache contained five bombs consisting of mortar rounds already wired with detonation cord, three RPG launchers with 12 RPGs, plastic explosives, three AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and ammunition.
Coalition Forces also found two improvised explosive devices. One of the bombs was an anti-tank mine connected to a radio, and the other bomb was two artillery rounds attached to a telephone. In both cases, the Soldiers cordoned off the area to keep people away from the bomb site, and called in explosives teams to safely dispose of the bombs.
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