Baghdad, Iraq: Operation Iron Blitz: Caches found, car bomb factory located

Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment found five weapons caches near the Tall Yusuf village of Abu Ghraib, Iraq July 26 as part of a major operation to eliminate the ability of insurgent groups to use the area as a staging ground for attacks into central Baghdad. Pictured above are just a few of the weapons confiscated in the operation. Co. A Soldiers worked with troops from Battery C, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment during the operation in which a kidnapping victim was also rescued and a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device factory was also discovered.(U.S. Army photo)



Operation Iron Blitz: Caches found, car bomb factory located, kidnapping victim freed
By Maj. Randall Baucom, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
Jul 29, 2007 - 3:00:23 PM

Blackanthem Military News, CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers located multiple weapons and munitions caches, located a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device factory and rescued a kidnapping victim in northwest Baghdad July 26.
While conducting patrols in the area around Tall Yusuf village of Abu Ghraib, Soldiers form Company A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division located five weapons and munitions caches. The caches consisted of mortars, anti-aircraft guns with ammunition, containers filled with high explosives, and other improvised explosive device-making material. The weapons, ammunition, and IED material were destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.
Battery C, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Battalion conducted an air assault to relieve Co. A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment at the cache sites and continued to patrol the area. While conducting their patrol the Soldiers discovered a VBIED factory, which contained several vehicles in different stages of completion.
While searching the building, a kidnapping victim was discovered. The victim claimed he was kidnapped in the Abu Ghraib area after visiting his relatives there. He said the persons responsible were agents of Al Qaeda, and they had kidnapped him because they believed he was a spy for the “1920 Brigade.” The 1920 Brigade is a former Sunni group that had rejected the government of Iraqi, but has recently made overtures to reconcile with the government and the Coalition to defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq. The victim claims he had been kidnapped for almost four days, and that he had been tortured.
After the man had been rescued, Battery C, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Battalion requested aviation assets destroy the vehicles and the building which was being used as a car bomb factory. Aviators from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cav. Div., destroyed the vehicles and a fixed-wing aircraft dropped a 500-pound bomb to destroy the building.
Battery C, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Battalion evacuated the kidnapping victim by helicopter back to Camp Taji where his wounds were assessed by Coalition doctors. Noting that the victim had no serious injuries, Soldiers from the 115th Brigade Support Battalion, convoyed the victim to Camp Liberty. From there, Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavarly Regiment returned the man to Abu Ghraib to be reunited with his family.
The 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division is conducting Operation Iron Blitz, a series of missions in northwest Baghdad, to eliminate the ability of Al Qaeda and rogue Jaysh al Mahdi special groups to use the area as a staging ground for attacks into central Baghdad.





Seven insurgents suspected of killing Coalition Forces captured
By Maj. Randall Baucom, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
Jul 10, 2007 - 4:22:38 PM

Blackanthem Military News, CAMP TAJI, Iraq — In an effort to find those responsible for recent attacks against Coalition Forces north of Baghdad, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers captured seven suspected insurgents during a major operation northwest of Taji, Iraq which began in late June and ran through July 5.
Soldiers from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division conducted “Operation Iron Blitz,” a series of air assault and ground raids into a rural area capturing all seven insurgent suspects. The suspects are believed to be directly responsible for an improvised explosive device attack on June 23, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack on a Coalition Outpost in Tarmiya, Iraq Feb. 18 and a car bomb attack on a bridge May 11.
“Operation ‘Iron Blitz’ is our focused targeting effort against IED and VBIED networks,” said Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, deputy commander for the Ironhorse Brigade. “The results from these particular raids are extremely satisfying. We know they (the suspects) were directly responsible for taking the lives of our troops.”




Terrorist Killed, Nine Detained in Iraq

(PressZoom) - WASHINGTON, July 5, 2007 – Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained nine suspected terrorists during raids around the country yesterday and today targeting al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders and operatives.
This morning, coalition forces targeted an al Qaeda in Iraq explosives consultant suspected of helping improvised explosive device cells west of Baghdad. As the ground forces entered the objective site, they encountered an armed man. Acting in self-defense, coalition forces engaged the man, killing him.
During the raid, another armed man emerged from an adjoining room within the building. Coalition forces again, reacted in self-defense and engaged the armed man, wounding him. Three suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
Another raid this morning netted one suspected terrorist allegedly involved with al Qaeda in the Tarmiyah area.
Coalition forces captured the al Qaeda in Iraq administrative emir of a Baghdad neighborhood during a raid yesterday. The individual is suspected of handling logistics and financing for terrorists cells in the area, and arranging for movement of operatives for the organization.
The ground forces also detained three individuals suspected of associating with the administrative emir.
"We're continuing to target all levels of the al Qaeda in Iraq organization, and are disrupting both their leadership structure and operations," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
Meanwhile, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers captured 25 suspected insurgents over the past 30 days during Operation "Iron Blitz" northwest of the Iraqi capital.
The suspects, many believed to be tied to insurgent cells responsible for roadside bombs, sectarian violence and indirect fire attacks, were captured by soldiers of the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
"These ( terrorists ) were targeting not only coalition forces and Iraqi security forces, they were targeting the Iraqi people to escalate sectarian tensions in the area," Army Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, deputy commander of the Ironhorse Brigade, said. "The capture of these individuals has lead to a significant decrease in insurgent activity in our area."
The Ironhorse Brigade was able to target insurgents successfully in northwestern Baghdad neighborhoods thanks to tips from the local community, Andrysiak said.
A grassroots effort by tribal leaders in the Abu Ghraib, Taji, and Saab al Bor areas, to reject al Qaeda and work to reconcile with the government of Iraq, Iraqi security forces and the coalition, is aimed at putting an end to sectarian violence in those communities.
With 25 suspected insurgents captured in June, Andrysiak said, communities in northwest Baghdad are headed in the right direction.
"By bringing these individuals to justice, we have seen a decrease in the violence in our area," Andrysiak added. "With the help of the volunteers, we are optimistic the violence will not return."
( Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases. )




Operation "Iron Blitz" captures 25 insurgents in June
By Maj. Randall Baucom, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
Jul 4, 2007 - 7:20:48 PM

Blackanthem Military News, CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Over the past 30 days, Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers captured 25 suspected insurgents during Operation "Iron Blitz" northwest of the Iraqi capital.
The suspects, many believed to be tied to insurgent cells responsible for the emplacement of improvised explosive devices, sectarian violence and indirect fire attacks, were captured by Soldiers of the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
"These (terrorists) were targeting not only Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces, they were targeting the Iraqi people to escalate sectarian tensions in the area," said Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, deputy commander of the Ironhorse Brigade. "The capture of these individuals has lead to a significant decrease in insurgent activity in our area."
The Ironhorse Brigade was able to target insurgents successfully in northwestern Baghdad neighborhoods thanks to an influx of support, in the form of tips, from the local community, Andrysiak said.
"The volunteers who have recently stepped forward to provide security in their own neighborhoods provided much of the information used to capture these individuals," he said.
A grassroots effort by tribal leaders in Abu Ghraib, Taji, and Saab al Bor areas, to reject Al Qaeda and work to reconcile with the government of Iraq, Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition, is aimed at putting an end to sectarian violence in those communities.
With 25 suspected insurgents captured in June, Andrysiak said communities in northwest Baghdad are headed in the right direction.
"By bringing these individuals to justice, we have seen a decrease in the violence in our area," Andrysiak added. "With the help of the volunteers, we are optimistic the violence will not return."