Coalition Soldiers Assisted By Iraq Security Troops
In the last eight weeks there has been a renewed effort to secure the region near Baghdad, in particularly the village of Mahmudiyah. Soldiers from Iraqi Security forces have joined with troops from the 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, 3rd BCT, 320th Field Artillery, Red Knight Rakkasan 3rd Battalion to support village security.
The biggest effort has been in the last two weeks, since March 26th. The combined military efforts have led to a number of explosive caches, weapons and ammunition including a large number of rifles and grenades. The effort included a number of roadblocks and a security cordon. These efforts revealed a large number of weapons in a residential apartment complex named Qadasiya Apartments.
The explosives that were found include 17 explosive projectiles, 19 rocket propelled grenades, nearly a dozen IED devices, and hundreds of machine gun ammunition rounds. This was considered significant for several reasons, especially because the material was found in residential areas and it was previously unknown.
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“It has been impressive the progress in security that has been made,†said Lieutenant Colonel William Zemp. Colonel Zemp is Commander of 3-320th Field Artillery. Reports are coming in that materials and insurgent personnel is streaming out of the area ahead of the joint security efforts.
The Iraqi National Army has successfully arrested 200 individuals for questioning, many known to be affiliated with terrorist activity. The joint operations are slowly having an effect and the security situation continues to improve.
