Police Chief Survives Attack; Soldiers Capture High-Value Terrorists

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2006 - An Iraqi police chief survived an insurgent ambush Oct. 3, urging his troops to continue the mission, and Iraqi and U.S. soldiers captured three high-value terrorists and 25 others in Baghdad Oct. 3, military officials in Iraq reported today.

The Iraqi police chief was wounded when his patrol was ambushed while in pursuit of suspected insurgents in the city of Baghdadi, Iraq. Col. Shaban al Obeidi was evacuated to a nearby U.S. military medical facility by helicopter for treatment and was reported in good condition.

One policeman was killed in the attack.

When asked if he had anything to pass to his policemen when coalition forces personnel visited him in the hospital, Obeidi said, "Continue to take care of the people, continue the fight. No food, no drink, no pleasure, only fighting the terrorists and eradicating them."

Baghdadi is a city of about 30,000 nestled along the Euphrates River and about 120 miles west of Baghdad.

In another operation, Iraqi and U.S. soldiers captured 28 suspected terrorists Oct. 3 in a pre-dawn raid that hit nine targets simultaneously in the Jisr Diyala section of eastern Baghdad. The troops involved were from Troop B and Company C, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 506th Regimental Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division and Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Among the detainees were three high-value individuals, officials said, including the No. 9 person on the division's high-value target list and two others on the squadron's high-value target list.

The No. 9 high-value individual has allegedly been directly responsible for murders, extra judicial killings, criminal activities and attacks on Iraqi security forces and coalition forces, said Army Lt. Col. Brian Winski, commander, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment.

During the operations, several weapons and ammunition were confiscated, to include a PKM machine gun, a PKC machine gun drum, a RPK machine gun, a hunting rifle, two handguns, seven AK-47 rifles, five hand grenades and several rocket-propelled grenades.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1489]

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