(Talon News) — Central Command is reporting that possible attacks on Coalition forces were prevented through the removal of enemy weapons during multiple raids throughout Iraq on Monday in support of the effort to “create a secure environment.”
According to CENTCOM, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conducted a raid on a local cafe in search of a person who allegedly attacked various police stations in the Mosul area. The soldiers detained 10 individuals and confiscated two AK-47s and 400,000 Iraqi dinars.
A large weapons cache was located at a cafe in the Layal area by the 4th Infantry Division. The soldiers confiscated a number of weapons including two 120 mm mortars, two 82 mm mortars, two 60 mm mortars and three rocket-propelled grenade launchers. More than 2000 RPG rounds and an unknown number of 82 mm and 60 mm mortar rounds remain in the cafe, which is being guarded by Coalition forces.
CENTCOM also reports that another 4th ID patrol located a cache of weapons in Samarra in an area normally filled with vendors. All of the vendors fled the area as the patrol approached. Confiscated weapons include two tubes of C4 plastic explosives, eight AK-47s, 18 strips of detonation cord, 32 silencers, 49 blasting caps, 15 sticks of dynamite, three improvised explosive devices, two grenades, 2,500 various small arms rounds and an ammunition container filled with NATO 5.56 rounds.
According to CENTCOM, in the last 24 hours, coalition forces conducted 58 raids, 973 day patrols and 797 night patrols and conducted 167 day patrols and 137 night patrols jointly with Iraqi police. Iraqi Police conducted 20 day patrols and 11 night patrols. The total raids and patrols resulted in 176 arrests for various criminal activities including 17 for murder, two for kidnapping, five for car-jacking, five for aggravated assault, 10 for burglary and two for looting.
Meanwhile, Central Command is reporting that soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division continue to graduate police officers from academies throughout the Mosul area while 1st Armored Division soldiers are training the Iraqi Police Services in “modern policing techniques.”
According to CENTCOM, the 101st AAD’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, nicknamed the ‘Rakassans,’ graduated 60 police officers July 26 from their academy in Sinjar. The new police officers will serve as future cadre for the academy. New classes are scheduled to start this week.
Soldiers from the 101st AAD have also started training a new class of officers for the Iraqi Facility Protection Security Force (FPSF). The FPSF provides security at power plants, water treatment plants, and at other infrastructure locations. CENTCOM says that the long-term goal of the FPSF is to take over the duties of American soldiers and Iraqi police who currently guard key sites.
Soldiers from the 101st AAD have also started a three-day Correctional Officer Course. The course is being held at the Temporary Juvenile Prison near Mosul. CENTCOM reports that although course content between the various academies varies, classes basically include instruction in security duties and responsibilities, medical first aid, apprehension techniques, professionalism and ethics, weapons safety, and rifle marksmanship.
Military Police from the 1st AD began training the second class of Iraqi police officers July 26 as part of the Training Integration Program in Baghdad. The program is designed to introduce modern policing techniques to the IPS. The 1st AD soldiers are teaching IPS officers about crime scene investigation, application of citizens’ rights, appropriate use of force and level of response, and police response to incidents and complaints.
According to CENTCOM, the current class includes 200 IPS officers. Once the program is fully operational more than 4,000 Iraqi police will have completed the training.
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