Progress in Iraq: 8 More Terrorists Sent to Hell, Multiple Terrorist Attacks Thwarted

EIGHT TERRORISTS KILLED DURING SALMAN PAK RAID

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed eight terrorists during a raid Thursday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq operating in the Salman Pak region.

Intelligence reports indicate a significant number of individuals involved with the AQIZ terrorist network currently operating in the area. Activities in this area have been linked to a roadside and vehicle-borne explosives network. Terrorists in the area are also believed to be involved in smuggling weapons and facilitating foreign fighters.

During the raid, in which Coalition Forces were repeatedly confronted by small arms and mortar fires, Coalition Forces identified three armed terrorists maneuvering toward them with hostile intent. Ground forces engaged the enemy, killing the three terrorists.

Twenty minutes later, ground forces were again confronted by eight terrorists who began firing upon them. Ground forces returned fire, killing four terrorists. The other four fled the area.

Ground forces also witnessed armed terrorists in a vehicle who were accessing a weapons cache and removing small arms. Coalition Forces engaged, killing one terrorist. Two terrorists were wounded and fled.

Coalition Forces recovered several sniper rifles, AK-47s and rocket-propelled launchers from one of the engagement sites.
“Successful coalition operations continue to disrupt al-Qaeda in Iraq operations, restricting freedom of movement and reducing the organization’s manpower pool,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesman.

Don't expect to read this on the front page of the NYT's. Of course, if the mainstream media WOULD report these stories, the terrorists might realize they are LOSING.

The world wide media is quick to carry the water for the terrorists, giving them maximum exposure for their propaganda; but report the truth on the ground - that every day terrorists are being defeated by the best equipped, best trained, most lethal fighting force in the history of mankind - no, the press will have none of that.

In other Iraq News:

Men captured while emplacing explosive device

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — Two men were arrested while attempting to emplace an improvised explosive device on a major Iraqi highway Tuesday near Camp Striker, Iraq.

Soldiers of Troop A, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) were patrolling Route Tampa, the main highway running in and out of Baghdad, at approximately 10:30 p.m. when they spotted two men crawling in a canal on the south side of the road.

The troops stopped the men and searched them, discovering that they had a U.S.-made night-vision tool. A further search of the area revealed an IED ready to be emplaced.

IEDs are commonly placed on Route Tampa due to its central location south of Baghdad and the heavy traffic, both civilian and military, that it supports.

The IED consisted of six 57mm rounds in a white bag about 200 meters from the road, as well as a video camera, a washing-machine timer, a pressure plate and a blasting cap.

The men were detained for further questioning.

Could it be that the increased presence brought on by a troop surge is working? - Nah, that would mean Bush is right, and since bush is never right, that simply cannot be.

Is that the only good news from Iraq? Heck no:

Task Force Iron Claw finds booby-trapped vehicle

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — A burned-out vehicle on a rural Iraqi road proved to be a vehicleborne improvised explosive device when it was investigated by Soldiers Thursday near here.

The vehicle was found along a road outside Yusufiyah, Iraq, near a settlement known to coalition forces as Janabi Village.

Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)’s Task Force Iron Claw noted wires leading out of the trunk of the vehicle at approximately 1 p.m. and called for an explosive ordnance disposal team to investigate further.

The vehicle was destroyed by EOD with a controlled detonation.

The ordnance in the trunk could not be identified.

“This vehicle was rigged to detonate for no other reason than to kill the Iraqi
security forces or U.S. Soldiers,” said Maj. Web Wright, 2nd BCT spokesman.

“Attention to detail by the Soldiers of Task Force Ironclaw saved lives today.”

Why is it only news when the roadside bombs kill our soldiers? Forget about seeing this story as a front page item... not when there is still news about how quickly Anna Nichol Smith's body is decomposing.

But that is it, right, there isn't more good news from Iraq today is there?

Iraqi, U.S. troops unearth large weapons caches

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — Military operations southwest of Baghdad snared extensive weapons caches March 1 near Yusufiyah, Iraq, hindering terrorist activity.

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division conducted search missions into an area known to coalition forces as Janabi Village, uncovering multiple caches and detaining several Iraqis suspected of being involved in or having knowledge of terrorist operations.

The caches included five AK-47s and 19 magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, four bandoliers for ammunition, a flare, an unknown type of machine gun, an Iraqi Army-issued radio, a radio tuned to the Iraqi national police frequency, four false identification cards, three rolls of copper wire, a garage-door remote control, a log book and paperwork documenting terrorist operations, a collapsible baton, two sniper rifles, an 82mm mortar system with 64 rounds and 400,000 Iraqi Dinar – about $312 in U.S. currency.

Also found were two 155mm rounds, 46 105mm rounds, a directional charge, a roll of detonation cord, eight 120mm rounds, three 60mm rounds, an Iraqi soldier’s load-bearing vest, a bag of unidentified powder, a remote timer, altered identification papers, a camera, two lengths of crush wire, two long-range cell phones and command detonation wires.

The Iraqi and U.S. troops also found a Dragonov sniper rifle with telescopic sights, 800 rounds for a PKC machine gun, a pressure-wire improvised explosive device, a rifle with a telescopic sight, two shoulder-fired rocket launchers, a receiver for a Dishka machine gun, a bipod, a bottle of homemade explosive, 20 shotgun shells, two gas masks, two air-delivered bombs, 70 unidentified fuses, a used rocket shell, two Katyusha rockets, 44 60mm mortar rounds, three small artillery charge bags and one large artillery charge bag, two 70mm rockets, two video cassettes, two hand grenades, five electric switches, a Japanese-made grenade, 46 mortar charges, 19 155mm mortar fuses and a destroyed camera.

“The caches found by the 4/6 and the 2-15th Soldiers will definitely have an impact in the Sayyid-Abdullah corridor,” said 2-15th executive officer Maj. Douglas Mayzel.

The two units are working together as part of Operation Commando Viper, said Maj. Web Wright, a spokesman for the 2nd BCT.

“The mission is being conducted to deny the enemy freedom of movement in southern Baghdad,” he said. “We have found multiple caches throughout the area of operations.”