War News for Thursday, January 10, 2008

Photo: US soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, secure an area in Baghdad. US warplanes rained bombs on a rural area just south of Baghdad on Thursday, with the American military saying Al-Qaeda in Iraq safe havens were destroyed in "one of the largest airstrikes" since 2003. (AFP/Jewel Samad)

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces described strikes throughout central and northern Iraq as part of an offensive launched this week called Operation Phantom Phoenix. They said they had killed at least five militants and captured at least 18 suspects.

BAGHDAD - A car bomb in eastern Baghdad's Palestine Street neighborhood killed one person and wounded four, police said. Seven shops were destroyed.

BAGHDAD - Two Iraqis were killed and 10 wounded, all from the police and army, when a roadside bomb detonated after they arrived at a small road in central Baghdad where an earlier bomb had blown up inside an abandoned car, police said. The earlier explosion did not harm anyone.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces found the bodies of three people with gunshot wounds across Baghdad on Wednesday, police said.

Baghdad - IED targeted an American military convoy in Zayouna, near the amusement park and the Martyr's Monument at 07:30 this morning. No casualties were reported.

Baghdad - Eastern Baghdad blast kills 2 U.S. troops, wounds 1

Baghdad - Bodyguard of senior health official killed in Baghdad. Unidentified gunmen did this on Wednesday night.

ARAB JABOUR - U.S. forces launched their biggest air strikes in at least a year, dropping 40,000 pounds of bombs within minutes on al Qaeda targets in date palm groves on Baghdad's southern outskirts, the U.S. military said, thereby doing an extraordinary job of winning Iraqi hearts and minds. Or something.

YUSUFIYA - U.S. helicopter fire killed four insurgents who were placing a roadside bomb near the town of Yusufiya on Sunday, just south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

Baaquba - Three popular committees leaders detained in Baaquba. "A joint force of Iraqi and U.S. personnel detained three popular committees leaders for being involved in killing, kidnapping and displacing families," the source, who asked to remain anonymous, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Anbar province - U.S. army detains Anbar chieftain - source. "The U.S. army waged a security operation on Thursday morning in al-Madeeq region, west of Khalidiya, where they arrested Ibrahim Ahmad Ali, a chieftain in Anbar's al-Karabela tribe, along with five of his sons," the source, who asked not to be named, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), pointing out that reasons behind his arrest still unknown. "A large number of U.S. forces, backed by helicopters, took part in the operation," he also said.

Kirkuk - 2 soldiers killed and 4 injured as an IED targeted their patrol in Hilear village, Rashad district to the west of Kirkuk city at 09:00 pm last night.

Diyala - Gunman, Aqeel Isma’eel, killed in explosion of IED as he was rigging it in Shuhadaa neighbourhood, in the town of Khanaqeen, east Diyala at 08:00pm last night.

Diala - 4 gunmen killed, 7 IED defused in Diala. Iraqi and U.S. forces waging Operation Raider Harvest in Muqdadiya district, northeast of Baghdad, killed three gunmen, defused eight explosive charges and uncovered caches of weapons, a source in Diala province said.

Diala - Two al-Qaeda operatives arrested in Diala. Two gunmen believed to be al-Qaeda operatives were captured in Diala, while the detonation of two explosive charges wounded two civilians in the province, a security source said on Thursday.

More an Arab Jabour:

Video: Arab Jabour Governance Center

B-roll of the grand opening of the Arab Jabour Governance Center. Scenes include Iraqi locals singing, dancing and eating, and shots of the interior of the building. Produced by Sgt. Jay Townsend.

Video Location: IQ||Arab Jabour

Unit(s) Involved: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

Submitting Unit: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Date Taken: 12-27-07

[This information came from Roads to Iraq blog. – dancewater]

Video: Concerned Citizens Provide Cover

Package of U.S. Soldiers taking charge of the Arab Jabour area with the help of local concerned citizens. Produced by Spc. Jay Townsend. [Another “success” story from Arab Jabour. Wonder if the kids got bombed? – dancewater]

Video Location: IQ||Baghdad

Unit(s) Involved: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Fort Stewart, US)

Interviewee(s): Capt. James Anthony (US), Commander, C Company, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment and Lt. Col. Ken Adgie (US), Commander, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment

Submitting Unit: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Date Taken: 10-20-2007