Centcom Press Release - Mar 28

IRAQI SWAT TEAM DETAINS SUSPECT, UNCOVERS WEAPONS
The Hillah Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics unit, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained a suspected high-level Special Group leader and recovered a significant weapons and munitions cache during a patrol on March 22nd in Hashimiyah of Babil Province. The Hillah ISWAT and U.S. Special Forces were conducting a daytime patrol in a known operating area for Special Groups and criminal militias that target Iraqi and Coalition forces, as well as Iraqi civilians, for attack.

During the patrol, the suspect argued with ISWAT officers as he attempted to prevent ISWAT vehicles from moving up a canal road in an industrial area of Hashimiyah, southeast of Hillah. Failing to convince ISWAT, he started to run away, disregarding orders from ISWAT to stop. ISWAT quickly caught the suspect and subsequently determined that he was a person long-sought by Iraqi and Coalition forces in Hillah.

The suspect is believed to be a Special Group battalion commander and a major figure behind Special Group violence and criminal activity in Babil Province. Credible intelligence links him to numerous rocket, mortar and improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces, criminal activity against Iraqi civilians, and trafficking of explosively formed penetrators. He is believed to be a central figure in weapons trafficking between Najaf, Karbala, and Nasiriyah.

Suspicious of the suspect's motives for not wanting ISWAT near the industrial area, ISWAT began an immediate and thorough search of several buildings in the area. During that search, ISWAT and U.S. Special Forces found a major weapons cache supporting Special Group violence in Babil Province. The cache included several EFPs, EFP components including more than 50 copper disks, 40,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 122 mm high-explosive rockets, more than 100 HE mortar rounds, 107 mm HE rockets, more than 200 pounds of C-4 explosive, 240 mm HE rockets, 50 complete rail systems for launching 122 mm rockets, components for constructing IEDs, rocket propelled grenade launchers with RPG rockets, a 81 mm mortar system, anti-personnel land mines and HE grenades.

The U.S. Special Forces team believes this to be a significant cache supporting Special Group and criminal militia operations in the area. The capture of the munitions as well as the suspected Special Group leader is expected to have a significant impact against groups that continue to operate illegally and which remain a threat in the area.