Iraqi Security Forces detained a suspected criminal weapons smuggler during an intelligence driven operation Sept. 21 in Al Kut.
Intelligence indicates the criminal is a former Badrah Iraqi Police officer who now directs the smuggling of rockets from Badrah to Al Kut. He also directs rocket attacks from the Al-Shuhada neighborhood into surrounding Iraqi and Coalition facilities.
Intelligence shows he transported rockets used in an Oct. 10, 2006 attack on Coalition Forces. In addition to financing extremist militant efforts, the cell member is also involved in improvised explosive device attacks. Specifically he is linked to an April 28 IED attack that killed one Iraqi Policeman and wounded two.
Three other suspicious individuals were detained for furthering questioning.
In a separate operation targeting al Qaeda in Iraq criminals, Iraqi Army Forces detained a suspected al Qaeda cell leader specializing in improvised explosive devices during a raid Sept. 21 in Baghdad.
The Sunni extremist leader and his cell builder emplace and detonate vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in the Mansour area of Baghdad to attack Iraqi Army and Police as well as innocent local residents.
On Aug. 24, the cell detonated an IED and killed three Iraqi Police and injured three others. On July 26, the group used a suicide vehicle borne IED to kill and injure Iraqis celebrating the Iraqi national soccer team’s Asian Championship. On June 30, the group emplaced two IEDs in front of a house and used the deadly devices to target an Iraqi Army convoy.
U.S. Special Forces were advisers on both operations. No Iraqi or U.S. members were injured during either operation.
