Marine Killed, Police Thwart Ambush, Raids Nab Terrorists

Officials said the Marine, assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, died of wounds received from small-arms fire in Ramadi. The Marine's name is being withheld until next of kin are notified.

Fast-thinking Iraqi police manning a checkpoint Jan. 9 stopped a convoy, headed by Staff Sgt. Mark Matthews, 801st Brigade Support Battalion, 506th Regimental Combat Team, and warned about a roadside bomb, officials said. An Iraqi police explosive ordnance disposal team soon arrived and destroyed the makeshift device.

"The Iraqi police provided additional security to help secure our convoy while we waited, then (they) exploded the device," Matthews said. "The IPs tested the route, then we made it through with no problems."

Three raids yesterday in northern Iraq led to the capture of five suspected terrorists.

Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team received a tip that led them to a terrorist cell member. Once the troops closed in and caught the terrorist, he turned informant and gave up information on another member of his cell. The soldiers were able to capture the other suspect from the information given.

Members of the cell are wanted for attacks against civilians and security forces, car theft, kidnapping and improvised explosive device emplacement.

Three more terrorist suspects were detained near Mosul in relation to car bomb attacks. All three men were rounded up by the 172nd SBCT along with a sniper rifle and various identification cards.

The Task Force Band of Brothers rewards program continues to garner support from the local population, officials said, as many citizens provide information leading to the discovery of individuals involved in crimes against the people of Iraq as well as attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)