Soldiers Follow Trail Of Insurgents Successfully
As the search has continued to locate members of terror cells and Al Qaeda, there have been several raids and continuing search efforts by Coalition soldiers that have involved the methodical house-to-house type search pattern.
One such series of raids took place last weekend, near Rahaliyah. Iraq.
Troops from 69th Armor, 3rd Battalion, Company A were accompanied by Iraqi Troops as they worked their way along house to house in Rahaliyah. They were responding to a number of reports that indicated the presence of Al Qaeda operatives that had been operating in safe houses and bullying citizens in and around Rahaliyah.
The first phase of the operation began in the daylight with the Iraqi troops making first contact and speaking with the locals, as groups of Coalition soldiers then methodically and carefully searched each house. As each house was cleared, then the Iraqi troops would move on to make verbal contact with the next house, and the process would be repeated.
“We are continuing to search for anything out of the normal, and for caches and stockpiles of illegal weapons,” said Captain Greg Ralls. Captain Ralls is the Commander of Company A.
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Much of the search effort was performed by Iraqi troops working under direct scrutiny and supervision of Coalition soldiers. “We are advising and watching them and helping if they need our assistance,” said Sergeant Thomas Reynolds. Sgt. Reynolds is a member of Company A.
“The Iraqi National Army is growing very proficient, they are getting good at this type of operation, it takes a lot of pressure off of us when we can rely on them,” said Sergeant Reynolds.