Good News from Iraq: 30 Aug 2007

From MNF-I, Dragons found house rigged to explode, caches.

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers found a house rigged to explode during clearing operations in the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital, Aug. 28.

In the early afternoon, Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, responded to a call from Joint Security Station Doura that a house was possibly rigged with explosives.

Terrorists have been known to demolish homes with explosives in order to scare residents into moving.

At the scene, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team found the basement rigged with two sticks of TNT and detonated them safely.

Earlier that morning, “Black Lions” from Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div., found an intact explosively-formed penetrator device, five rocket-propelled grenades, two rocket propelled grenade launchers and an RPK machine gun with 500 rounds.

While cordoning the area off, the troops began taking small-arms fire and killed one insurgent and wounded another as they engaged the enemy.

In the late hours of the previous day, “Tomahawks,” of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, found a cache consisting of one set of body armor, U.S. Marine fatigues, a Coalition Forces certificate of achievement, an infrared strobe, and various identification cards and passports.

The contraband was taken to a Coalition Forces facility for more investigation.