Five Suspected Terrorists Killed Seventeen Arrested By Coalition
A recent series of air strikes has resulted in coordinate offensive success in Iraq. Five terrorist suspects were killed, and seventeen other suspects were arrested. Weapons and various explosive items were discovered and seized over the last several days.
Several Al Qaeda safe havens were destroyed, along with nearly thirty-eight other targets near Arab Jabour. Coalition aircraft dropped over forty bombs inside of a ten-minute time span. The total amount of bombs dropped was over forty thousand pounds, according to military officials.
Soldiers from 3rd Infantry, 2nd Brigade combat team directed air strikes from the Air Force F-16 fighters onto the area. Four of the fighter jets, and two additional B-1 bombers participated in the raid and made two passes apiece.
These strikes were part of Operation Phantom Phoenix. This is the larger part of Operations that also included as part of them Operation Marne Thunderbolt. The precision air strikes were also part of an overarching assault operation that is pursuing Al Qaeda and focused on clearing out insurgents south of Baghdad.
“These missions are being conducted with intelligence driven and zone recon information,” said Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wilson. Wilson is the executive officer for the Aviation Brigade, 3rd Combat Brigade. “We allow our commanders and commanding general to get past the enemy’s decision cycle, and minimize all the risks wherever we can,” said Wilson. “This really capitalizes on the vulnerable areas of the enemy.” Said Wilson.
2nd Brigade Combat Team troops on the ground were working with Iraq security in the whole region to keep direct pressure on the enemy. Patrol bases are being constructed, and security is being restored.