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With help from the concerned citizens of Jurf as Sakhr, Iraqi and Coalition Forces identified and destroyed an enemy fighting position and safehouse Aug. 25 as part of Operation Gecko.

Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division acted on a lead from a concerned citizen on a known enemy fighting position suspected of containing a mortar tube with ammunition.

Once the location was identified, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters engaged the location with one missile, rendering the position useless to the enemy, and the Paratroopers of 1-501st Abn. destroyed the remains of the bunker.

Continuing to follow the lead of the concerned citizens, Paratroopers were then taken to an al-Qaeda safehouse where five armed terrorists were hiding. The location was marked and destroyed with a 1,000-pound bomb, killing the five al-Qaeda militants.

Operation Gecko is systematically cleaning up the area, removing deadly roadside bombs and capturing or killing the terrorists and militiamen responsible for the violence and chaos that had blanketed the region.

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Coalition Forces killed eight terrorists and detained 16 suspected terrorists Monday during operations targeting key leaders and facilitators in the al-Qaeda in Iraq network in central and northern Iraq.

During a raid west of Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured an individual believed to have worked with a terrorist killed Aug. 26 to coordinate the employment of three suicide bombers for an upcoming attack in an unknown location. As the assault force approached the target building, they received small arms fire from adjacent buildings. Three armed men ran out of the adjacent building toward the assault force. Coalition Forces responded in self-defense, killing the three armed men. Three more armed men ran from another nearby building toward the ground forces’ security element. Coalition Forces again responded by killing the three attackers.

In addition to the suspected suicide bomber coordinator, Coalition Forces detained three individuals for their alleged ties to the foreign terrorist facilitation network in the southern belts around Baghdad. The ground forces also found several munitions and bomb-making materials at the scene, which an explosives team safely destroyed.

Coalition Forces killed a leader of an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell in the Arab Jabour area and one of his associates during an operation north of Salman Pak. When Coalition Forces secured the target building, surveillance elements observed two men moving into some reeds and taking up tactical fighting positions against the assault force. Iraqis in the target building warned Coalition Forces that the men in the reeds were armed. Coalition Forces, responding to defend against the hostile threat, called in close air support and engaged the armed men, killing both. One of the men was identified as the targeted individual, who operated an illegal terrorist court system, smuggled weapons, extorted money from local Iraqis and conducted bombing attacks against Coalition Forces.

Coalition Forces conducted three operations continuing to target senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq in north-central Iraq. Based on intelligence from an operation Aug. 18, Coalition Forces captured an alleged terrorist senior leader during a raid south of Kirkuk. The suspect is believed to have close ties to other senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and also is believed to facilitate the movement of foreign terrorists into the country. The ground forces detained six additional suspected terrorists during the raid.

During operations near Ba’ajah and Muqdadiyah, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists for their alleged involvement with senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq. The ground forces found munitions and machine guns on the scene near Ba’ajah and safely destroyed the cache.

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Coalition Forces shut down an attack attempted by approximately 30 masked insurgents, killing at least a dozen insurgents and pursuing the rest in Samarra, Sunday.

Over the course of the morning, CF pursued and attacked the masked insurgents with ground forces, attack helicopters and U.S. Air Force close air support, which included a precision-guided bomb dropped on an insurgent getaway vehicle beneath a carport.

In addition to the insurgents who were killed, fourteen insurgents were detained along with the confiscation of four enemy AK-47s, one sniper rifle and one machine gun.

The Samarra Joint Coordination Center reported two civilian casualties from the initial attack. CF confirmed the two civilians passing by the engagement area in a taxi – a male and female –were killed by crossfire during the initial stages of the battle.

Two U.S. Soldiers were killed during the initial engagement as reported in an earlier release. Their names are being withheld pending release by the Department of Defense.

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Multi-National Division-Baghdad attack helicopter crews killed four insurgents who were placing a roadside bomb in south Baghdad Aug. 26.

The aircrews from 1st “Attack” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, responded to a call from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, to engage the roadside bombers.

The ground unit positively identified the insurgents, and the aircrews observed the group placing an improvised explosive device.

After getting clearance to fire from the ground unit, the Apache crews engaged the insurgents, killing four and wounding at least one other.

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Iraqi forces, U.S. Marines and U.S. Special Forces conducted a series of raids detaining eight suspected terrorists and killing three, Aug. 25.

During an operation in Husaybah, west of Al Qaim, Scouts from the 3/7th Iraqi Army Brigade and U.S. Marines detained three suspected insurgents believed to be linked to the al Qaeda in Iraq extremist organization.

One of the individuals is an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq leader and is suspected of overseeing the terrorist organization’s activities in the Al Qaim area. A second individual is allegedly involved in oil smuggling operations within the region. Islamic insurgent propaganda materials and identification cards were seized during the operation.

During two separate operations in Baghdad, five suspected terrorists were detained. One of the detained individuals is an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq Emir and is suspected of directing improvised explosive device and small arms attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces. While leaving one of the targeted buildings in southwest Baghdad, ISOF and USSF began to receive enemy small arms fire. The team responded with well-aimed and proportionate fire, killing one insurgent.

In Al Kut, members from the 3/8th Iraqi Army Division killed two insurgents during an operation to detain terrorists responsible for recent improvised explosive device and small arms attacks in the area.

After clearing the exterior of the target location, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the roof of the building. The forces located the attacker and responded to the threat with well-aimed fire, wounding the insurgent. On-scene medics aided the wounded insurgent, but he later died.

As the forces departed the target location, they came under attack from small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. The team returned fire, killing another insurgent.

U.S. Special Forces served as advisers during these operations. No Iraqi or U.S. Forces were injured.