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WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2005 – Seven Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in northwestern Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 6, military officials there said.
The soldiers were conducting a patrol in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle when an IED detonated at approximately 6 p.m., killing all seven occupants. Also today, military officials reported that a second Marine was killed Jan. 6 while conducting security operations in the Anbar province. The Marine was assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Both incidents are under investigation, and the names of casualties are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. During military operations today, multinational forces found nine weapons caches and destroyed 12 improvised explosive devices. It was also reported that some 32 suspected insurgents were detained during searches and raids in the Anbar province and near Baghdad. Marines with the 1st Marine Division detained 15 suspected insurgents and seized weapons during cordon-and-search operations in the Anbar province. Among the weapons and munitions were rocket-propelled grenades, small arms, rockets, mortars, and bomb-making material. Near Baghdad, multinational forces detained 10 insurgents and a large cache of bomb-making materials. Elsewhere, Iraqi security forces discovered a weapons cache in central Fallujah. And in North Babil, multinational forces acting on information received from a weapons dealer already in custody captured two additional weapons dealers and their caches. In other news, multinational forces clearing routes near Baqubah discovered a car bomb on the side of the road. The vehicle was secured, and an explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a controlled detonation of the vehicle without incident. Multinational forces near Abu Ghraib prison observed two individuals digging a hole and placing a suspected IED in the hole then covering it up. In Musayyib, a local citizen reported seeing three armed insurgents placing an IED at his door the night before. The man disarmed the IED and turned it over to multinational forces. In a gesture of goodwill, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Unit presented two ambulances to the city of Nukhayb in the western part of Anbar province. Military officials said the ambulances will enhance existing medical care facilities and provide emergency medical service to the citizens there. (Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
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