From MNF-I, ‘Arrowhead Ripper’ continues clearing out insurgents.
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Army and Coalition Soldiers from Task Force Lightning continued offensive operations in and around the capital of Iraq’s Diyala province Monday, as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continues to deny resources to al -Qaeda terrorists in the area.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, discovered and disabled five vehicles being prepared as car bombs and caches containing pipe bombs, sniper rifles, and other explosives and bomb-making materials.
During another joint operation in western Baqubah, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, and Iraqi forces disabled three IEDs and discovered a cache of small arms. Also included in this discovery was an al-Qaeda safe house containing a large amount of medical supplies and equipment. The medical supplies taken from this safe house were distributed to the local civilian population.
“In western Baqubah, Arrowhead Ripper has met our initial tactical objectives and then some,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, deputy commander for operations for Task Force Lightning and Multi-National Division-North. “Not only have we cleared out the active al Qaeda operatives in the western part of the city, but more importantly started to return fundamental life and normalcy to the citizens in that part of the city -- food, water, fuel -- those things that are essential to the trust and confidence of the people in their government.”
Iraqi and Coalition Soldiers continue to conduct successful engagements throughout the capital denying al-Qaeda operatives resources and safe havens.
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