American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2006 – U.S. soldiers freed a kidnapped Voice of America journalist and captured four suspected terrorists in two separate operations in Baghdad July 14, officials in Iraq reported.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers rescued a kidnapped Voice of America reporter in southeast Baghdad. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, had observed four men dumping a bound-and-gagged body from their vehicle.

The soldiers engaged the suspects with small-arms fire, but the men escaped into a nearby palm grove. The U.S. soldiers had first believed that the suspects in the car were dumping a corpse.

However, the soldiers found the missing reporter and transported him back to a coalition forces forward operating base.

In another action, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained four suspects and seized weapons during a combat patrol in northern Baghdad July 14.

Soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, had stopped a suspicious-looking minivan and found a PKC machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade and a belt of ammunition.

The U.S. soldiers detained the vehicle's four occupants for questioning. During interrogation, one of the suspects provided information that led to a house search that yielded anti-coalition forces propaganda and plans for future attacks.

In other news, Iraqi leaders, soldiers and engineers teamed up to repair some broken water pipe during a project conducted west of Mahmudiyah July 13 and 14.

The Iraqi engineers and soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, worked together for two days to make the repairs. A group of Iraqis led by Sheik Kareem Al Kafawni had gathered outside the Mahmudiyah city council building the previous day to request repairs needed to restore water service to their neighborhood.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, facilitated a meeting between Mayor Muayed, the city council and neighborhood leaders. The mayor organized local engineers, arranged for the purchase of repair materials and requested that Iraqis perform the job.

After consulting with local officials and residents, Muayed dispatched a repair crew consisting of soldiers and civilian engineers to the worksite. The Iraqi crew completed the repairs early July 14.

(Compiled from Multinational Force-Iraq press releases.)

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Multinational Force Iraq