Iraqi, Coalition Forces Wrap Up Operation Rams in Ramadi

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2005 - About 100 Iraqi army soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division, and 400 U.S. soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team wrapped up Operation Rams in Ramadi, Iraq, today.

Rams, the sixth in a series of disruption operations in Ramadi, began in western Sufia district Dec. 4. The operation focused on neutralizing terrorists and setting conditions for a successful Dec. 15 election, officials said.

Altogether, Iraqi and coalition forces seized and destroyed 13 weapons caches and six improvised explosive devices. Two of the caches were significant in size, including a 1,000-pound bomb explosive ordnance disposal technicians destroyed. Iraqi and coalition forces also detained eight suspected al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists during the operation. The detainees are being held for questioning, officials said.

There were no reports of civilians, Iraqi army soldiers or U.S. forces injured or killed in the operation.

In other news, U.S. and Iraqi troops nabbed six terrorists and uncovered an enemy weapons cache during operations across Iraq Dec. 6, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials reported.

- Iraqi soldiers from 1st Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 1st Intervention Force, and coalition troops operating in Fallujah detained four suspected terrorists during a house search. The suspects were transported for further questioning by authorities.
- Iraqi soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 7th Division, captured a suspected terrorist in Rahwah. The detainee allegedly is associated with an incident involving an improvised explosive device that occurred earlier this month. The suspect was on a "persons-of-interest" list when he was apprehended at a checkpoint, and he subsequently tested positive for explosive residue, officials said. The suspect was transferred to a detention facility for further questioning.
- Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces caught another person near Hit. That detainee is suspected of being a member of a terrorist mortar squad that conducted a Dec. 5 attack. The suspect was detained for further questioning.
Elsewhere, Iraqi army soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Battalion, 1st Intervention Force, and coalition troops discovered four enemy weapons caches located north of Saah Dec. 6.

- The first cache contained a partially buried mortar system, a rocket-propelled grenade, and four mortar rounds.
- The second cache had five RPGs and one 60 mm rocket with propellant.
- The third weapons cache contained four AK-47 automatic rifles, three full magazines of ammunition, five RPGs, 15 RPG igniters, two 120 mm mortar rounds, one 82 mm mortar round, one case of 7.62 mm rounds, five hand grenades, and a packet of igniters.
- The fourth cache consisted of 150 rounds for a light machine gun, four long-range antennas with tops, two rifle sights, one 155 mm artillery round, five RPG igniters, three rocket charges for RPGs, nine fuses, 19 blasting caps, a bag of dynamite, two one-gallon jugs of dynamite, 10 meters of detonation cord, nine base plate receivers, a compass with various navigation tools, four 60 mm rounds, seven cell phones, 13 cell phone batteries, seven cell phone chargers, several cell phone relay chips, several standard batteries, a video camera, a map, and several assorted wires.
An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed all four weapons caches on location.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)

Related Sites:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq [http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil]

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