Cordon and Knock in Kirkuk Reassures Residents

By Spc. Anna-Marie Hizer, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KIRKUK, Iraq (April 10, 2006) -- Captain XXX Walsh, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, talks with an Iraqi Army captain about mission progress during an early-morning cordon and knock operation. The operation brought together IA and Iraqi Police personnel in a joint operation -- an attempt to root out the location of a sniper who has been targeting Iraqi and Coalition forces in the area. By Spc. Anna-Marie Hizer, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KIRKUK, Iraq - Iraqi Army troops, Iraqi Police and Bastogne Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division conducted an early morning cordon-and-knock operation in a residential area close to Forward Operating Base Warrior.

The purpose of the operation, which included members of the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, was to find the location of and possibly identify a sniper who has been targeting coalition and Iraqi forces in the area.
Another goal of the mission was to get Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police operate jointly, something the two forces are striving to do better.

"One of our goals was to get the IA and IP to work together," said Capt. Chris Walsh, 2nd Battalion, 327th Inf. Regiment, "And we accomplished that."

KIRKUK, Iraq (April 10, 2006) -- An Iraqi Army soldier detains a Kurdish man for suspicious activity during an early-morning cordon and knock operation. The operation brought together IA and Iraqi Police personnel in a joint operation - an attempt to root out the location of a sniper who has been targeting Iraqi and Coalition forces in the area. By Spc. Anna-Marie Hizer, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Iraqi soldiers made a sweep of the area, knocking on doors and searching homes as Iraqi Police cordoned off the area and searched all vehicles driving through the area. Despite the early morning wake-up call, residents seemed more than willing to allow soldiers into their homes, as troops reminded them that they were here for the people's safety and protection.

Iraqi Army soldiers took the lead in the mission - one more sign of the Iraqi Army's growing independence in the region - with coalition troops observing and lending a hand when needed.
Although the search turned up no weapons or signs of sniper locations, leaders seemed confident that the IA and IP presence gave Kirkuk residents more faith in their security forces.

KIRKUK, Iraq (April 10, 2006) -- An Iraqi Army soldier detains a Kurdish man for suspicious activity during an early-morning cordon and knock operation. The operation brought together IA and Iraqi Police personnel in a joint operation -- an attempt to root out the location of a sniper who has been targeting Iraqi and Coalition forces in the area. By Spc. Anna-Marie Hizer, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment