Operation Eagle Venture IV detains nine terror suspects

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

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – Coalition forces seized an area between Mahmudiyah and Yusufiyah, Iraq in an air-assault operation in the early hours of June 30, beginning construction of a battle position there to prevent movement of anti-Iraqi forces.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., in conjunction with troops of the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, cleared an area along a highway known as Route Sioux during the night.
Troops of Battery A, 2-15, discovered a small cache of anti-coalition propaganda materials, and route-clearance troops from the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd BCT, found an improvised explosive device consisting of six 60mm mortar rounds as they traveled to the site of the new battle position.
The IED was destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team with a controlled detonation.
Roads leading to the site were blocked and all vehicles there were searched, resulting in the detentions of six local nationals. One was on a U.S. persons-of-interest list, three others were on a similar list from the Iraqi Army, and two carried false identification papers.
During construction efforts for the new position, 2-15 Soldiers came under small-arms fire; attack aviation arrived and suppressed the fire. Iraqi troops attempted to find the source of the attack, but found no one.
Soldiers of Btry. A remained to secure the area as construction and reed-clearance teams continued to work.
The battle position, strategically placed in the area which has long been a central terrorist haven, will provide a much-needed center for operations in the area, planners said.
“The establishment of a new battle position in the Sayyid-Abdullah corridor consolidates the progress made by the Iraqi Security Forces in denying the area as a safe-haven to al-Qaeda in Iraq and other anti-Iraqi forces,” said Maj. Matt Zimmerman, operations officer for the 2-15 and a native of Willington, Conn.
“It also establishes an additional line of communication between the cities of Mahmudiyah and Yusufiyah. Having that communication will allow the 4/6 IA to increase their control in their area of operations, and help them to provide a safe and secure environment for the local populace.”
The nine detainees were taken to Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah for questioning.