Commando Brigade nets terror suspects in series of bizarre incidents

2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI)

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — Coalition forces had busy days along a major thoroughfare in Iraq Feb. 18 and 19, with separate incidents resulting in several detainees and caches found.
Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) were patrolling a major Iraqi highway, called Route Tampa by coalition forces, when they struck an improvised explosive device at about 5:45 p.m.
The Soldiers scanned the area for a possible trigger man and spotted two local men hiding in a canal and requested aviation support in detaining them.
At about 6:30 p.m., the two men were pulled out of the canal, and questioned along with another three men in the area. Three of the men claimed that the other two were not residents of the area. All five of the men, suspected of being involved with the IED, were detained for questioning.
In another incident, Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion’s Task Force Iron Claw, 2nd BCT, were clearing a road southwest of Baghdad Feb. 19 at about 7:20 a.m. local time when they found two males carrying a white bag, appearing to be trying to emplace it in the road. The task force approached the men, who seemed to be surrendering. One man ran behind a house with the bag, and the Soldiers stopped two trucks at the scene, detaining two men. A white truck of similar make fled.
About three hours later, Soldiers of 1-89 were conducting a dismounted patrol just southwest of the area the suspected terrorists had fled, and spotted a white truck approaching their position, and stopped it, finding two men inside as well as a shotgun. The vehicle had bullet holes in the windshield and hood from rounds fired at it by Task Force Iron Claw.
The two men inside were detained in addition to the two detained earlier and were taken to a coalition base for questioning.
On Feb. 19 at about 9:45 p.m., Soldiers of 1-89 were patrolling Route Tampa when they found three men attempting to place an IED.
They engaged the men, killing one and wounding the other two.
The two wounded men were medically evacuated to coalition care under supervision and will be questioned.