CENTCOM NEWS RELEASE

July 29, 2003
Release Number: 03-07-88

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEAPONS SIEZED IN MULTIPLE RAIDS

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Possible attacks were prevented through the removal of enemy weapons during multiple raids throughout Iraq on July 28 by Coalition forces in support of the effort to create a secure environment.

Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conducted a raid on a local café in search of a person who allegedly attacked various police stations in the Mosul area. The soldiers detained 10 individuals and confiscated two AK-47s and 400,000 Iraqi Dinars.

A large weapons cache was located at a café in the Layal area by the 4th Infantry Division. The soldiers confiscated a number of weapons including two 120 mm mortars, two 82 mm mortars, two 60 mm mortars and three rocket-propelled grenade launchers. More than 2000 RPG rounds and an unknown number of 82 mm and 60 mm mortar rounds remain in the café, which is being guarded by Coalition forces.

Coalition forces detained three Iraqi males and confiscated one van, three AK-47s, and ammunition when the 4th ID closed an illegal checkpoint in the vicinity of one of its base camps. Another 4th ID patrol confiscated 1,000 grenades that were hidden in a haystack in the vicinity of Salman Pak.

Another 4th ID patrol located a cache of weapons in Samarra in an area normally filled with vendors. All of the vendors fled the area as the patrol approached. Confiscated weapons include two tubes of C4 plastic explosives, eight AK-47s, 18 strips of detonation cord, 32 silencers, 49 blasting caps, 15 sticks of dynamite, three improvised explosive devices, two grenades, 2,500 various small arms rounds and an ammunition container filled with NATO 5.56 rounds.

Possible attacks were prevented by a 1st Armored Division explosive ordnance disposal team who conducted a controlled detonation of 10-107 mm rockets in the Baghdad area.

In the last 24 hours, coalition forces conducted 58 raids, 973 day patrols and 797 night patrols and conducted 167 day patrols and 137 night patrols jointly with Iraqi police. Iraqi Police conducted 20 day patrols and 11 night patrols.

The total raids and patrols resulted in 176 arrests for various criminal activities including 17 for murder, two for kidnapping, five for car-jacking, five for aggravated assault, 10 for burglary and two for looting.