Coalition Troops Kill Three Terrorists, Detain Eight

American Forces Press Service

July 6, 2007 – Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained eight suspects during operations targeting al Qaeda operatives in Iraq's Anbar province today. During a raid west of Fallujah, coalition forces captured a suspected al Qaeda battalion commander responsible for planning logistics and overseeing terrorist attacks by cells within his group, military officials said. He also allegedly has reached out to media outlets, requesting they broadcast jihadist propaganda that includes videos of insurgent attacks on coalition forces.

After coalition forces entered the targeted building, they encountered a man with an AK-47 assault rifle and two men armed with pistols who began firing on the ground force. Coalition forces acting in self-defense engaged the three armed terrorists, killing them. Troops detained two other suspects during the raid.

Northeast of Ramadi, coalition forces targeted a suspected terrorist who allegedly helps foreign fighters move into Iraq to participate in terrorist attacks. The ground forces detained six suspects during the operation.

"All levels of al Qaeda in Iraq are in danger as we continue to target them," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "More and more, the people of Iraq -- regardless of politics or religion -- are rejecting al Qaeda's brutal values."

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)