U.S. Troops Find Weapons Caches; Iraqi EOD Team Makes Road Safer

U.S. soldiers discovered four weapons
caches in a four-day period in areas outside of Baghdad, officials said.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a weapons cache March 8 near the
Euphrates River, south of Baghdad.

Army Pfc. Jason Chambers, of B Company, was occupying an observation
post when he noticed something out of place in the distance. After
carefully inspecting the area, he and another soldier discovered the cache,
consisting of roadside bomb-making materials. Chambers and the soldier
moved away a safe distance, notified their chain of command, and
provided security until help arrived. Soldiers from B Company cordoned off the
area.

Communications equipment, enemy propaganda, pre-made bomb detonation
initiators, and various roadside bomb components were found. EOD
technicians estimated the seizure took 637 roadside bombs from terrorists'
hands.

Elsewhere, soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad uncovered three
weapons caches in three separate events yesterday.

- Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 101st Airborne Division, received a tip from a local resident
that led them to a terrorist safe house east of Baghdad. The soldiers
captured six suspected terrorists, five AK-47 rifles, 15 AK-47 magazines,
400 AK-47 rounds of ammunition, knives, grenades, 23 propaganda discs,
and various bomb-making equipment.
- Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a small cache in northern
Baghdad. The cache comprised two 122 mm rounds and four 130 mm artillery
rounds.
- West of Baghdad, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, located a cache
consisting of 35 pounds of C-4 explosives, two grenades, dynamite and
blasting caps.

In other news, an Iraqi explosive ordnance disposal team helped make a
route east of Baghdad safer yesterday by ridding it of a roadside bomb
found by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers. Soldiers from 1st
Battalion, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne
Division, found a hollowed-out tree trunk containing wires, a 152 mm
round, and a remote control base while they were on patrol. The disposal
team responded to the scene and secured the round.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)