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Day Five on The Jabouri Peninsula Yields More Significant Finds

JABOURI PENINSULA, Iraq - At the end of day five on the Jabouri Peninsula, coalition forces and the Iraqi Army netted more significant finds of weapons and munitions including four SA-14 surface to air missiles in the area north of Balad.

Members of 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, along with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, have swept the peninsula for five days now to disrupt insurgent activities, and collect stores of explosives, weapons and ammunition insurgents used to attack coalition forces, Iraqi Security Forces, as well as neighboring citizens.

Most significant about the latest find was four SA-14 surface-to-air missiles. The SA-14 is a man-portable air defense system first manufactured in the mid-70s but still considered to be an effective surface-to-air missile system.

Iraqi Army and coalition forces also confiscated nine 155 mm artillery rounds, four 122 mm mortar rounds, 27 rocket-propelled grenades, eight RPG launchers, 10 - 57 mm rockets, a .50 caliber machine gun, various types of hand grenades, 50 pounds of explosives and various improvised explosive device making material.

Iraqi Soldiers continue to be an integral part of this mission because of the knowledge they posses about this area. They are familiar with the terrain and possible escape routes insurgents may use, and the Iraqi Army is able to assist the coalition forces in securing the area.

With these significant finds, and continued operations in the Jabouri Peninsula , the Fighting Eagles of 1-8 CAB are hopeful that attacks against Iraqi Army and police, coalition forces and the neighboring city of Balad will now decrease.

Source: Multi-National Force-Iraq