95 Qaeda Militants Killed, Arrested North Of Baghdad
Baghdad, 14 September 2007 (Voices of Iraq)
U.S. forces killed and arrested 95 gunmen in a series of security operations to hunt down elements of al-Qaeda group north of Baghdad, the U.S. army said on Thursday.
“A bout 1,000 of Iraqi and U.S. personnel killed three al-Qaeda gunmen and arrested 80 more during three days of operations in Hamrien mountains region and the Diala River valley north of Baghdad,” the U.S. army said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“Four senior al-Qaeda leaders are among the captives. The operation ended with the seizing of a large amount of weapons and explosives,” it added.
“Iraqi Army Scouts, with U.S. Special Operations Forces as advisers, conducted an intelligence driven helicopter assault raid Sept. 12 resulting in the detention of 12 suspected insurgents and the destruction of an explosively-rigged structure,” another U.S. statement said.
“Assault forces conducted a series of raids in the vicinity of Taji and detained ten targeted individuals and two additional persons of interest. While securing one of the objectives, an assault team discovered a command detonation wire leading from an abandoned structure and the area was immediately evacuated,” it also said.
“The targeted individuals are purportedly linked to the Lions of Islam Martyr Group and are suspected of improvised explosive device trafficking, facilitating foreign fighters and conducting murder and intimidation campaigns in the region,” the statement also said.
“No Iraqi or U.S. forces were injured during the operation,” it added.
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