A group of Iraqi Soldiers stepped up to help California residents victimized by recent wildfires raging throughout the state.

Iraqi Army Col. Abbas Fadhil, Besmaya Range Complex commander, and his team of “Abbas’ Eagles” raised $500 for wildfire relief.

“We want to send a message to the American president and the American people,” said Abbas. “We feel that we are a family—one body. When one part of the body suffers, the other parts suffer too.”

This is the fourth donation the Soldiers of Besmaya have sent to the American people recently. In September, they raised $1500 for victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Eagles also donated $500 to the National September 11th Memorial.

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Iraqi Army Soldiers and Iraqi National Policemen, conducting operations in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, discovered weapons caches May 31.

National Policemen from 34th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, discovered an explosively formed projectile at approximately 8 a.m.

At approximately 9 a.m., Iraqi Army Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st IA Division, seized one EFP, two PKC light machine guns and one rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

In separate events, at approximately 9 a.m., Soldiers with the 34th Brigade, 9th IA Division, seized a number of EFPs, RPGs and rifles.

Iraqi Soldiers also with the 34th BDE, 9th IA Div., discovered a weapons cache at approximately 10 a.m. The cache consisted of 17 AK-47 assault rifles, one RPK machine gun, three rifles, one anti-tank mine, two 155 mm rounds and two small machine guns.

At approximately 11 a.m., Iraqi Soldiers from 34th BDE, 9th IA Div., seized another weapons cache consisting of six 81 mm and 82 mm mortar tubes, and more than 100 81 mm and 82 mm mortar rounds.

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This is the Iraqi Army movement into Sadr City.

Three weapons caches were found in a mosque and a hospital during Operation Peace in Baghdad, May 23.

The two caches contained more than 360 AK-47 assault rifles, approximately 12 Dragonov sniper rifles, anti-tank mines, flak vests, more than 100 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, and multiple RPG launchers. The bodies of one woman and two men were also found at the site of one of the caches.

Iraqi Army Soldiers of the 22nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, discovered the first cache inside a mosque in the Shuala neighborhood during a clearing operation.

Inside the mosque, Iraqi Soldiers discovered more than 260 AK-47 rifles, approximately 10 RPGs, and approximately 10 Dragonov sniper rifles, as well as mortars and mortar tube.

The Soldiers discovered a second cache just outside the mosque, containing more than 100 AK-47s, anti-tank mines, flak vests, TNT, rocket launchers and the remains of the three people.

Iraqi Army Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 49th Iraqi Army Division, discovered the third weapons cache in a local hospital in Sadr City.

This cache contained more than 100 RPG rounds, rocket sleds, more than 60 home-made grenades, more than 50 fuses, TNT with cortex, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and several mortar tubes corresponding to multiple mortar sizes.

To date, Operation Peace in Sadr City has seized 38 caches.

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