|
FOB RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq, September 2, 2006 - Multi-National
Division - Baghdad soldiers of Companies B and D, 3rd Battalion,
67th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 101st Airborne Division, (normally assigned to 4BCT
of 4ID) captured a high-ranking terrorist cell leader along
with three of his associates, Friday in east Baghdad's Al Oubaidy
neighborhood. The actions were part of Operation Together Forward, a Multi-National Division - Baghdad operation designed to reduce assassinations, kidnappings and prevent escalation of sectarian violence in order to restore Baghdad security to Iraqi control. "We've been looking for the leader of this cell for about four weeks now. We decided to target him about a week and a half ago," said 1LT Randall Weaver, platoon leader, Company D, a native of Susanville, CA. The unit received information there was a terrorist cell operating in Al Oubaidy. Meanwhile, soldiers from Company B and Company D set up a cordon and search around two houses in the Al Oubaidy area. The combined patrol detained four local nationals. One of those local nationals fit the description of their target. "Not a single shot was fired, and we accomplished our mission," said LTC Mark Bertolini, battalion commander, 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, a native of Bellerose, NY. In a related event, the unit received a tip that militia military took over the gas station across from Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah. Sources indicated the deputy of the terrorist leader captured the day prior was operating at that gas station. Elements from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, were sent to conduct an area reconnaissance in order to gather information for future operations. Upon arriving at the gas station the soldiers identified their targets and started moving to detain the local nationals. A vehicle containing the targets attempted to flee the scene, but the soldiers captured the four suspects. It was later confirmed that the unit had apprehended the deputy of the terrorist leader. "This is a result of many weeks of hard work by our battalion and brigade staffs and culminated by a precision operation that was executed flawlessly by our soldiers," said Bertolini. Neither the suspected terrorists nor MND-B personnel were injured during the operation. |
