Iraqi, Coalition Forces Rescue Kidnap Victims, Nab Terrorists

Iraqi soldiers and police rescued three
kidnap victims, and coalition troops captured nine terrorists in
operations in Iraq today, U.S. officials reported.

Iraqi soldiers and police teamed up with U.S. soldiers to rescue the
three Iraqi kidnap victims in Mosul. A local citizen's tip led Iraqi
soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division; Iraqi
police; and U.S. soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade to a house in
Mosul. The combined force entered the house and found three Iraqis
chained to the wall of the basement. The joint force freed the hostages. No
one was injured during the rescue.

"Recent tips from Iraqi civilians have led to the discovery of kidnap
victims, suspected terrorists and weapons caches and have shown the
increased trust and confidence in the security forces around northern
Iraq," U.S. military officials said in a release.

Elsewhere, coalition forces raided several buildings in Yusifiyah,
capturing nine terrorists and killing one in a location known for enemy
activity and safe houses. During the troops' initial search, several
terrorists fled from one building into another in an attempt to evade the
assaulting force. Coalition forces shot and killed one before he entered
the adjacent structure and demanded the others exit peacefully; several
willingly complied.

Coalition forces assaulted the hideout and detained the remaining
terrorists, shooting one. The injured terrorist was medically evacuated to
the field hospital at the Abu Ghraib prison. All who complied were
detained without incident.

The troops conducted a thorough search of the identified safe houses,
discovering AK-47 rifles, grenades, material for improvised explosive
devices, and ammunition throughout the buildings. Three days prior in
this area, coalition forces had captured two terrorists involved in
hostage taking, officials said.

A day earlier, in Hit, Iraq, soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi
Army Division, and coalition troops detained one person and found a
cache while on patrol April 4. Troops detained the military-aged man for
suspected insurgent activity. The cache included one Dragonov sniper
rifle, one sub-machine gun, one propane tank filled with black powder, a
British-made smoke generator, 1,000 rounds of 25 mm ammunition, and an
assortment of artillery rounds, blasting caps, and other bomb-making
components.