CENTCOM Roundup - New Year's Day Edition

The stories that Reuters and the AP pretend didn't happen, so their co-conspirators clients at the NYT, the LAT, WaPo, et. al. don't have to report them.

SIX DETAINED IN JOINT OPERATION

YUSAFIYAH, Iraq - A joint operation of Iraqi and coalition troops resulted in the capture of six individuals Dec. 31.

Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and a squad from the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division conducted a joint search-and-attack operation near the village of Al-Thobat, Iraq, approximately four kilometers southwest of Yusufiyah.

The operation targeted three separate objectives in the vicinity of the village, where improvised explosive device cells were suspected of operating and finding safe haven.

Elements of Company C, 4-31st and Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment paired with the Iraqi Army squad to detain the suspects. Two of the men were wanted for their connection to IED operations in the area. The other four individuals were detained for their belligerence when the two wanted men were confronted.

FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED DURING BAGHDAD RAID

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition Forces killed five terrorists and detained one suspected terrorists during a fierce firefight Monday morning in Baghdad.

Intelligence reports indicated the targeted location was used as a possible safe house for al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists to conduct operational planning.

While approaching the targeted area, Coalition Forces received heavy automatic weapons fire and hand grenades from the top of several nearby buildings. Coalition Forces returned fire killing two terrorists.

Several armed men fled to a third building.

Coalition Forces received fire from the top of the third building and they returned fire. Coalition Forces were able to establish a foothold in one of the adjacent buildings.

Due to the heavy amount of enemy fire received two buildings caught on fire.

While receiving heavy automatic weapons fire from many directions, Coalition Forces managed to kill four more terrorists and detain one.

One of the buildings from which Coalition Forces received heavy enemy fire, including grenade launches, was later identified as belonging to Dr. Salih al-Mutlaq al-Dulaymi, the Chairman for the Iraqi National Dialogue Council.

CALVARY TROOPS FIND 3 WEAPONS CACHES

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - While conducting cordon and search operations, Soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment discovered a large weapons cache and the dead body of a local Iraqi national near the town of Al Wadud, Iraq, Dec. 30 in a suspected improvised explosive device factory.

Explosive ordnance disposal personnel and a weapons exploitation team assessed there was more than 2,000 pounds of explosives at the site.

In another incident nearly 12 hours later, Company B discovered two more cache sites.

All three sites yielded numerous finds to include a large amount of wires, multiple pressure plates, several initiators for IEDs with batteries, a night-vision scope, cutting torches, rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition, mortars and mortar rounds. EOD personnel destroyed the explosives during controlled detonations.

One local Iraqi was detained for further questioning.