America's North Shore Journal

Sons of Iraq killed nine enemy insurgents today during a firefight at a checkpoint near Owja, south of Tikrit, May 29.

Members of the local SoI group were attacked when a fuel truck, fabricated to hold enemy fighters, approached the checkpoint and engaged the SoI guards with small-arms fire.

As the SoI returned fire, the driver of the fuel truck exited the vehicle and detonated a suicide-vest.

No SoI sustained injuries from the blast.

The eight remaining fighters then dismounted and attacked the SoI with small-arms fire. Iraqi Army soldiers and Policemen responded to the firefight, eliminating the threat.

“If it were not for the SoI identifying the enemy threat, they would have moved through the checkpoint unnoticed, only to cause mayhem somewhere else,” said Maj. Phillip Borders, 1st Special Troops Battalion operations officer. “The SoI’s vigilance is keeping the people of Tikrit safe. It was because of their actions that the enemy was defeated today.”

MNF-I