Last Week’s News
Better late than never.
Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers engaged in a heated firefight with terrorists in Musayyib July 23.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, along with Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, Musayyib police officers, and members of Hillah SWAT, killed 33 terrorists during the day-long battle.
“This was a coordinated, sustained and complex attack against Iraqi police and 1-67 AR elements in the city,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Donahoe, commander, 1-67 AR.
We received reports of small skirmishes between IPs and terrorists erupting at a police station, including the seizing of IP vehicles and weapons in the main downtown circle, which includes the Husseniya, said Donahoe. Soldiers from Company D, 1-67 AR, were in the area to investigate reports of death squads making a presence in the area and surprised the terrorists when they arrived on the scene so quickly.
“When we entered the downtown area, we soon came under fire from the area around the Husseniya, including a rocket-propelled attack from inside the structure,” said Capt. Irvin Oliver, commander, Co. D, 1-67 AR.
The Soldiers dug in while other elements of 1-67 AR and their Iraqi counterparts rushed to assist and defeat the terrorists.
The combined force cordoned off the city from all directions, keeping the fight to a scaled area and making sure innocent civilians were not harmed. Combat Aviation elements soon arrived on the scene and witnessed and filmed armed individuals entering numerous buildings around the city.
An AH-64 Apache helicopter engaged a fuel truck suspected of being laden with explosives as it made its way toward 1-67 AR’s position.
Terrorists fired on the combined forces from a building. A 2nd BCT M1A2 Abrams tank crew eliminated the threat when it fired its 120mm gun, killing the six terrorists inside, said Oliver. Terrorist RPG teams set up positions throughout the area and continued attacking.
“The professionalism and thorough training of the Soldiers was evident as they took out the teams, one by one. Every guy stepped up during the fight; I have never been as proud of my company as I was during this battle,” said Oliver.
“The IA soldiers fought right along side us, and I was honored to have them as part of our team. They proved that they are more than ready to provide security in the province,” he added.
Small-arms fire was exchanged for a few more hours. The emplacement of roadside bombs by the terrorists failed to deny MND-B Soldiers and ISF movement in the area. The remaining terrorists fled their positions and fled the city.
“The battalion rode the sound of the guns; we fed overwhelming combat power into the city on multiple axes to defeat this threat to the rule of law. When the IPs were challenged by well-armed criminals, we joined with the Iraqi army to restore order,” said Donahoe.
“The men who attacked the IPs and CF were criminals and looters who won’t listen to the district councilor to the sheiks,” said Themir Theban, a representative of the Office of the Martyr Sadr.
The attackers pointed their weapons at the Imam in the Husseniya, he added, so help was solicited from CF to arrest the ringleaders.
“Thugs and criminals tried to take over Musayyib, but they failed because the Iraqi army and police are unbeatable when they work together. The CFs were proud to assist their brothers,” said Col. John Tully, commander, 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
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