Iraqi Army Soldiers uncovered weapons caches in the Sadr City district of Baghdad June 4, as they continued conducting operations to increase the area’s safety.

Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st IA Division, discovered a weapons cache at approximately 6:30 a.m. The weapons included an RPK light machine gun, 11 AK-47 rifles, six AK-47 magazines, four of which were full, 40 PKC light machine gun rounds, 100 AK-47 rounds, two ski masks and assorted Special Groups propaganda.

Iraqi Army Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Bde, 1st IA Div., seized seven AK-47 rifles around the same time.

At approximately 8 a.m., Soldiers with the 1st Bn., 3rd Bde., 1st IA Div., seized an explosively formed penetrator and 19 rocket-propelled grenades.

About 30 minutes later, Soldiers from the same unit seized three EFPs, two RPG-7 launchers, a box of mortar fuses and a 12.7 mm machine gun.

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Solders from 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered 20 grenade fuses, a box of grenade parts, and 300 ammunition rounds at approximately 12:20 p.m. northwest of Baghdad.

Soldiers from 2nd SBCT, 25th Inf. Div., found a 120mm mortar round, a rocket, an 81mm mortar round, 86 empty 107mm rocket casings, a base plate, timer fuses and detonation cord at approximately an hour later northwest of Baghdad.

At approximately 8:20 p.m. in the Shurta area of Rashid, Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found seven 120mm mortar rounds and 34 boxes of 12.7mm ammunition.

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Iraqi Army Soldiers seized a number of weapons caches in Sadr City during Operation Peace June 2.

IA Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 36th Brigade, 11th IA Division found six rockets, five 82 mm mortar rounds, two 120 mm mortar rounds and four anti-aircraft rockets at approximately 7:35 a.m.

At approximately 11:25 a.m., IA Soldiers from 2nd Bn., 3rd Brigade., 1st IA Div., seized three grenades and five rocket bases. At approximately 12:50 p.m., Soldiers from this unit seized six 82 mm mortar rounds, a 155 mm round and an improvised explosive device hidden inside a vehicle.

IA Soldiers from 4th Bn., 34th Bde., 9th IA Div., seized eight IEDs, 21 BMP round propellants, a 60 mm mortar tube and base plate, three rocket-propelled grenades, a 60 mm mortar round, a smoke grenade, a small propellant, a grenade blasting cap and a spool of wire at approximately 1:10 p.m.

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Iraqi Army Soldiers uncovered several weapons caches in the Sadr City district of Baghdad as they worked to increase safety in the area June 3.

Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st IA Division seized several weapons caches at approximately 7 a.m. The munitions included two PKC magazines with 50 rounds, five AK-47 magazines loaded with 40 7.62 mm rounds, two anti-tank rockets, two anti-personnel rockets, a missile, two grenades and nine initiation fuses.

At approximately 8 a.m., Soldiers in the same unit found an RPG-7 and five anti-personnel rounds.

In concurrent operations, Iraqi Army Soldiers serving with the 1st Bn., 38th Brigade, 11th IA Div., seized another weapons cache. The items included 52 Dishka rounds, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, an RPG warhead, two 82 mm mortar rounds, six 60 mm rounds, five 122 mm rockets, two fire extinguishers and an armor vest with plates.

IA Soldiers with the 2nd Bn., 3rd Bde., 1st Division also discovered several weapons caches at approximately 8 a.m. They seized 11 AK-47 rifles, a RPK light machine gun, five grenades, a 120 mm round and crush wire.

At approximately 8 a.m., Soldiers with the 2nd Bn., 36th Bde., 9th IA Div., seized a sniper rifle and eight AK-47 rifles.

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Working in deep woods, believe it or not.

Battery C, Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, along with Soldiers from the Iraqi Army took part in a clearing operation outside of Combat Out-Post Zaganiyah in the densely packed palm groves May 28.

IA Soldiers, along with members of the Sons of Iraq from three different Iraqi towns took part in the palm grove clearing operation, said Capt. Charles Knoll, Battery C, Fires Squadron, 2nd SCR.

“The city of Bukais used to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq stronghold in northern Iraq,” said 1st Sgt. Richard Perez, Battery C, Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.

“The AQI were using their position to terrorize and intimidate the innocent people who lived in the city,” said Perez.

IA, SOI and CF were able to push the al-Qaeda in Iraq presence out of the city, said Knoll. The AQI took up sanctuary in the palm groves that surround the city.

The thick foliage provided an ideal location for the AQI to hide weapons caches and conduct secret operations, according to Perez.

The palm grove clearing operation is conducted almost regularly, said Perez. It’s important to clear the AQI presence from the groves and not allow them to feel comfortable operating in our area of operations.

“The Iraqis are taking the lead on this operation,” said Knoll. “The Iraqi Army and SOI are going to be the tip of the spear on this operation. The American forces are here in a purely supportive role.”

Two platoons from the Fires Brigade were stationed in blocking positions around the palm groves, isolating the objective, as the Iraqi forces swept through May 28, said Staff Sgt. Ronis Gutierrez, platoon sergeant, Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.

In the course of the operation, three AQI were killed, said Gutierrez. More than 46 mortars were found in various weapons caches throughout the palm grove. Once we eliminate the AQI presence, it will allow the Coalition forces to focus on providing and building basic services for the people of the adjacent areas, said Knoll.

“The Iraqis really took the fight to the AQI here today,” said Knoll. “The Iraqi Army is beginning to develop their own plans and conduct their own missions independent of Coalition forces.”

According to the unit, it is a good indicator of their willingness to take on the broader responsibility of providing security for their own people.

“The Iraqi Army Soldiers are very professional, and they are very eager to take their country back from the AQI and other insurgent groups,” said Perez.

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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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