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Operation Bruins Concludes in Northern ar Ramadi

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq - Approximately 150 Iraqi Army Soldiers and 300 Marines and Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2 BCT) and 2nd Marine Division concluded Operation Dhibbah (Bruins) in northern ar Ramadi Nov. 20.

The operation netted several weapons caches used by al-Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists to conduct direct attacks on Iraqi Army, U.S. forces and Ramadi citizens and to build hundreds of roadside bombs.

The caches were found Nov. 20, in a sweep through northern Ramadi. Plastic explosives, artillery and mortar shells, fuses and remote and pressure sensitive detonators were among the items found.

Marines conducting a combat patrol in support of the operation were attacked by a roadside bomb. There were no casualties or damage from the bomb which targeted the fourth armored Humvee in the column.

Marines were also attacked with a single rocket-propelled grenade while on patrol on the perimeter of the cordon area. The grenade impacted near the al Qudar Mosque but caused no casualties and limited damage.

Twenty-one rocket launchers and 43 rounds of RPG ammunition were discovered along with 23 medium machine guns, three sniper rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Thirty-two black ski masks were also found in this cache.

Operation Bruins was part of a series of disruption operations in Ramadi designed to set the conditions for successful elections in December.

Attacks against Iraqi and U.S. forces in the Ramadi area have decreased 60 percent in the last few weeks, as a result of these ongoing operations.

Source: CENTCOM