Coalition jet fighters shot down an Iranian drone that was hovering over Iraq late last month, Multinational Force Iraq officials confirmed today.

The incident occurred Feb. 25, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, officials said in a statement.

Two coalition aircraft were directed to visually identify the unmanned aerial vehicle after it was detected hovering inside the Iraqi border. The pilots confirmed that it wasn’t a coalition aircraft and that no collateral damage would result from a shoot-down. Coalition air forces tracked the UAV for more than an hour before the pilots engaged it, officials said.

“This was not an accident on the part of the Iranians,” officials said. “The UAV was in Iraqi airspace for nearly one hour and 10 minutes and well inside Iraqi territory before it was engaged.”

Officials said they believe the drone to be an Iranian-made Ababil 3 model UAV.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and military leaders have long accused Iran of interference in Iraq. Iran poses “a real problem,” Gates said on PBS’ “Tavis Smiley Show” March 11.

“I think it’s one of the significant challenges that we’re going to face over the next several years,” he said.

DoD
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

American and Iraqi forces have discovered Iranian weapons in Iraq that were manufactured as recently as last year, a U.S. military official said today.

The yield of Iranian-made weapons consisted of hundreds of rockets and makeshift bombs, Army Col. Philip Battaglia, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team said in a Baghdad news conference.

“We have found many Iranian-made munitions with a manufacture date as late as 2008,” Battaglia said, referring to weapons discovered since June.

The seized weapons include hundreds of 107 mm and 122 mm rockets, and about 500 deadly bombs that military officials call “explosively formed penetrators” because they’re designed to pierce armor in various stages of construction, he said.

The colonel’s area of operations, known as Multi-National Division – Center, covers the Iraqi provinces of Dhi Qar, Muthanna and Maysan, the latter of which borders Iran.

“We have never captured any munitions being smuggled across the border, but the border is very open,” he said. “There is movement across quite freely.”

Battaglia said smuggled weapons were identified by their “apparent Iranian marking with a date of manufacture from 2008.”

As a matter of procedure, troops hand the weapons over to Iraqi security forces for disposal, while others are sent for further analysis, he said.

DVIDS
Story by John Kruzel

This is right on the Iranian border, nearly due west of Herat.

The Afghan Border Police (ABP), 4th Brigade, in coordination with investigators from the Ministry of the Interior seized five vehicles carrying illegal narcotics, weapons and ammunition, December 18.

566 kg of drugs along with other contraband items were seized at a checkpoint near Musa Abad, 130 km from Herat. A five-man ABP team was performing a routine patrol when they engaged in an extended contact with smugglers. During the contact, the smugglers used the cover of darkness to escape, but the vehicles were captured and subsequently taken to the ABP headquarters outside Herat for processing.

“I was tasked by the General [to undertake] the patrol,” said ABP Sergeant Abul Qudoos, team leader of the patrol that made the find. “It was late at night, we had 2 and a half hours of fighting, the smugglers ran away, but we took five vehicles full of narcotics. I am proud of this accomplishment and I really appreciate the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). When the fighting started we called them and they arrived within two hours. We achieved this with the QRF’s cooperation.”

The ABP, in the western region, are mentored by an eight-member American team assigned to the Afghan Regional Security Integration Command-West (ARSIC-W). This team is responsible for advising more than 2,000 ABP troops who have the largest area of operation in Afghanistan, from the border of Farah province to Marcheck.

“This is the largest seizure we’ve seen for the 4th brigade,” said U.S. Army Capt. Garret Turley, Executive Officer for the ABP mentor team. “This will bring more eyes to the 4th brigade’s area of responsibility. The fight is coming here and we already know that. We are trying to get our leaders to see that and get us more resources.”

The weapons, drugs and ammunition will be destroyed and the ABP continue their investigation.

“I think the mission of the ABP is the most important,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Larry Willbanks, commander of the ABP mentor team. “If you can’t secure your border you can’t keep smuggled goods from coming in and you can‘t keep illegal narcotics from going out. You can’t generate revenue at your ports like you should if that border is not secure.”

ISAF

Coalition forces continue to degrade the Iranian-funded Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq criminal network with the capture of a suspected key network leader and three associates early Monday in Abd al-Husayn al-Musawi, just north of New Bagdad.

Acting on intelligence information, Coalition forces targeted an alleged regional operations leader for Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, believed to be responsible for attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces, as well as network recruitment in the Baghdad area.

Coalition forces approached a residence believed to be the location of the alleged criminal, where he identified himself to forces and was apprehended without incident, along with three associates.

Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq is assessed to have engaged in numerous EFP and IED attacks, as well as kidnappings, sectarian killings and other heinous crimes that threaten Iraq’s future. Iraqi and Coalition forces are working together to prevent Iranian-backed terrorists from endangering the Iraqi people.

MNF-I

Coalition forces continue to degrade the Katai’b Hezbollah network with the capture of three suspected criminals Tuesday morning during an operation in Baghdad’s al-Basrah neighborhood.

Acting on intelligence information, Coalition forces targeted a Katai’b Hezbollah facilitator assessed to have close ties to network leadership.

Coalition forces approached the suspect’s location at a social club where they encountered three suspected Katai’b Hezbollah criminals. During questioning, Coalition forces observed that the three individuals were intoxicated, and were detained without incident.

Katai’b Hezbollah is assessed to be a proxy of Iran and its members are believed to be responsible for recent attacks against Iraqi citizens and Iraqi and Coalition forces. In the last two days, Coalition forces have detained six suspected Katai’b Hezbollah criminals.

MNF-I