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Five Weapons Caches Discovered in Northern Iraq

TIKRIT, Iraq - Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers continue to have success tracking down and seizing weapons and explosives before they can be used by terrorists and anti-Iraqi forces throughout northern Iraq. Five caches were uncovered in the area Jan. 9.

The largest discovery of the day was made during a raid by local police and Soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division along with U.S. troops from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division near Muqdadiyah. More than 100 artillery and mortar rounds were discovered along with 20 rockets. An explosives ordnance disposal team will conduct a controlled detonation to dispose of the cache.

Soldiers from 3rd HBCT also discovered a cache of bomb-making materials near Logistics Support Area Anaconda, southeast of Balad. The Soldiers were investigating a suspected IED when they noticed detonating cord running to a nearby house. The home was searched resulting in the discovery.

Another large cache was discovered by Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team southwest of Kirkuk. The patrol discovered about 80 mortar rounds and several large artillery shells.

A separate 1st BCT patrol operating north of Kirkuk found a cache of 30 mortar rounds and two rocket-propelled grenade warheads. An EOD team destroyed the weapons at the site.

Acting on a tip, troops from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division teamed with Soldiers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and local police to raid a house near Tal Afar. The security forces found a variety of IED-making materials in a portion of the house that was extremely well hidden.

A tip also led Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team to a cache in Mosul. The troopers found 16 mortar rounds and several detonating fuses hidden in a local cemetery. The rounds were taken to a nearby military base for disposal.

Source: Multi-National Force-Iraq