Tuesday, 30 October 2007

BAGHDAD — Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment conducted its 4th air assault in the past five months Oct. 25, resulting in the detention of six suspected insurgents.The assault across the Tigris River from the Mada’in Qada, a portion of the Baghdad province, was aimed at killing or capturing Sunni extremists operating southeast of Baghdad in the Tigris River Valley.

Pilots from the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, flew UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in support for the operation.

Prior to the surge and the placement of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, east of Baghdad and the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., west of the Tigris River and southeast of Baghdad, the area was considered a sanctuary for Sunni insurgents. The two brigades, both under Multi-National Division - Center, now operate in the former sanctuary to disrupt insurgent operations.

“There are not a lot of Coalition forces there on a regular basis,” said Maj. John Cushing, from Rochester, Mich., operations officer for the 1-15th Inf. Regt. “Insurgents know that, go there and think they are in a safe location. Missions like this show that they are never safe or out of our reach.”

The operation required Company A, which operates out of Combat Outpost Cahill near Salman Pak, to maneuver through farm fields and palm groves, interspersed with deep irrigation canals, to reach the insurgents’ houses. Soldiers found moving through the terrain at night challenging, but not an impediment to the mission.

“It is not until you get guys on the ground that you truly realize the challenges of the terrain,” Cushing said. “It is a tribute to the flexibility of Company A that few obstacles get in their way of mission accomplishment.”

Supported by U.S. Army AH-64 attack helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Company A Soldiers cleared four houses during the night raid.

Two of the six detained individuals were identified as Sunni insurgents.

“Soldiers knew the detention of those two would disrupt insurgent operations across multiple areas of operations throughout Iraq,” Cushing said.

The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. from Fort Benning, Ga. and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

The 1st and 4th Battalions of the 3rd Aviation Regiment are assigned to the 3rd CAB, 3rd Inf. Div. from Fort Stewart, Ga.

(Story by Maj. Joe Sowers, 3rd Headquarters Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division)

In other recent developments around Iraq:

Iraqi Security Forces seized a cache of rockets intended for terrorist attacks following a tip from local citizens in Hillah, Oct. 26.

A Task Force Iron unit discovered two significant mortar caches while conducting population engagements in an area east of Hamrin Lake, Oct. 26.

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