Residents And Iraqi Leaders Meet With Soldiers
For almost a year the road from Al Lej to Salman Pak has been closed. Due to fierce fighting in the war on terror in May 2007, the road was damaged. A civilian terrorist driving a vehicle with an IED in it exploded at a traffic checkpoint last May, killing seven national Iraqi Army Policemen and injuring nearly ten others. Damage to the checkpoint and the roadway was extreme and led to the closure of the road for almost a year.
Coalition troops working closely with Iraqi Security, Police and National Army forces have re opened the road. Members of the local Sons of Iraq have also worked a lot of hours to see that the roadway was repaired.
The re opening ceremony was held on February 29th, and more than 150 members of Sons Of Iraq, as well as dozens of Coalition soldiers, Iraqi Army and Police, and other local citizens attended. The ceremony was held to celebrate the Al Lej road reopening, as it is the main route from Al Lej to Salman Pack.
The construction of the Combat Outpost Carver nearby had led to an overall assessment of what the local community of Salman Pak needed. So, soldiers worked to begin reconstruction on the Al Lej roadway at the same time. Soldiers from Company B, 1-15th Infantry worked with Sons of Iraq members, and Iraqi Army members on the construction and repair for the Al Lej roadway.
“The whole Mada’In Qada area and citizens can travel again to Kanasa, Al Lej, to Dura’iya, and even to Salman Pak,” said Brigadier General Aamir, the Iraqi General who commands 1st Brigade, 1st National Iraqi Police. Ali Hussein, the Sheik who is the leader for Sons of Iraq for Al Bawi and Salman Pak opened up his home for an expansive lunch reception for officials and dignitaries that attended the reopening ceremony.