Soldiers in Baqubah use smoke as concealment to move through the neighborhood of Buhriz, Iraq, April 10. Soldiers with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash., took part in a three-day battalion-sized effort to clear the Buhriz neighborhood of terrorists. After the operation, Soldiers along with Iraqi police and Iraqi army continued to maintain a presence in the neighborhood to maintain security for the local people.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 0416-05
April 20, 2007

By Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAQOUBA, Iraq — Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment continued their systematic attack on terrorist forces in Baqouba with another clearing operation in the city April 10.

In this latest effort, Soldiers of 5-20 Inf. Regt., 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., spent three days clearing the neighborhood of Buhriz, described by Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Bruce Antonia as “al-Qaida’s battleground.”

When the Stryker battalion first arrived in Baqouba in March, it encountered resistance from the neighborhood’s insurgents in the form of roadside bombs, rocket propelled grenade fire and small arms fire.

During the mission, Soldiers operating alongside Iraqi Security Forces conducted house-to-house searches for terrorists and weapon caches. They learned from residents that many terrorists had fled Buhriz in the face of the advancing battalion.

“We’ve pushed al-Qaida out of here,” said Sgt. Matthew Benzshawel, with 2nd Platoon, Company A, “We are a pretty lethal force. When (insurgents) see a battalion’s worth of Strykers coming, (they) usually move out.”

Nonetheless, the battalion reported that coalition forces detained about a dozen suspected insurgents, including one man described by the unit as a “high-level” terrorist.

The battalion also reported that it found and destroyed more than 20 small weapon caches, which included a Dishka machine gun, grenades, mortar rounds, rocket propelled grenade rounds, sniper rifles, AK-47’s and ammunition.

Soldiers from the battalion say they have managed to make the area safer for the local people with their continuous efforts against al-Qaida in Iraq.

“We’ve denied them the terrain,” said 1st Lt. James Dobis, 2nd Platoon leader, Company A. “They have not been fighting with anybody, they have not attacked us … they have not attacked any civilians.”

The assault into Buhriz served as a catalyst to secure a foothold in the area. Iraqi Security Forces, along with Soldiers from Troop B, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, which is attached to 5-20 Inf. Regt., plan to maintain a permanent presence within the neighborhood by collocating troops at an Iraqi police station in Buhriz and continuing to patrol the area.

Battalion leaders plan to continue their assault on al-Qaida in Iraq forces in and around Baqouba.

“We have taken their battleground,” said Antonia, after the operation. “We are going to keep the pressure on the enemy. That is the only way to push them out.”


More photos here

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division photos, 2ID, 3SBCT, 5-20 Infantry, Baqubah, Buhriz, Iraq

Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070418-08
April 18, 2007

Multi-National Division - North PAO

TIKRIT, Iraq - Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces continued operations in Buhriz, Iraq, Monday, clearing the Baqubah neighborhood of terrorist cells responsible for murders, kidnappings and emplacing improvised explosive devices.

Soldiers from the Iraqi police Emergency Reaction Force Two, 2nd Battalion, 5th Iraqi Army Division, and the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted an early-morning air assault into Buhriz, resulting in five caches being seized, seven detainees and one terrorist killed.

The caches included items such as hand grenades, small-arms munitions, artillery rounds and IED-making material.

"The sustained and continuous operations by the ISF and Coalition are the response to a need for persistent, aggressive operations to defeat anti-Iraqi forces operating inside Diyala," said Col. David W. Sutherland, 3-1 Cav. commander and senior U.S. Army officer in Diyala Province. "The people's response is an added confidence in their security forces, resulting in increased calls to the TIPS line and direct information and intelligence on terrorist resources.

"The response by four tribes to these operations is a peace agreement in principle to stop antagonistic actions against each others people," Sutherland added. "The people understand their future is in the stability offered by their ISF and not in the depth of despair offered by terrorists."

According to the unit, one of the seven detainees is "a known al-Qaida emir." The detainees have been transferred to a facility for further questioning.

ISF, partnered with CF, are maintaining a permanent presence within Buhriz to ensure the population remains secure.

"There is a 'strength through unity' campaign being waged by the people, the ISF, the tribal leaders and the government of Diyala, to bring security to the province. The Coalition will support all peaceful factions," Sutherland said.


A Soldier with 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment watches a Chinook helicopter land April 16. The battalion air assaulted into a farming area south of Baqubah in search of al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists that might have fled there during a clearing operation in Buhriz two days earlier. Soldiers of 5-20 Inf. Regt., 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., captured a dozen suspected terrorists during the 24-hour operation, including an entire cell responsible for mortar attacks on coalition forces in Baqubah. They also found several small caches which included grenades, AK-47s, ammunition, bomb-making materials and terrorist propaganda. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment load onto Chinook helicopters April 16. The battalion air assaulted into a farming area south of Baqubah in search of al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists that might have fled there during a clearing operation in Buhriz two days earlier. Soldiers of 5-20 Inf. Regt., 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., captured a dozen suspected terrorists during the 24-hour operation, including an entire cell responsible for mortar attacks on coalition forces in Baqubah. They also found several small caches which included grenades, AK-47s, ammunition, bomb-making materials and terrorist propaganda. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment travel in a Chinook helicopter en-route to a mission April 16. The battalion air assaulted into a farming area south of Baqubah in search of al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists that might have fled there during a clearing operation in Buhriz two days earlier. Soldiers of 5-20 Inf. Regt., 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., captured a dozen suspected terrorists during the 24-hour operation, including an entire cell responsible for mortar attacks on coalition forces in Baqubah. They also found several small caches which included grenades, AK-47s, ammunition, bomb-making materials and terrorist propaganda. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


Soldiers with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment overwatch fellow Soldiers moving through a farming community south of Baqubah April 16. The battalion air assaulted into the area in search of al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists that might have fled there during a clearing operation in Buhriz two days earlier. Soldiers of 5-20 Inf. Regt., 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., captured a dozen suspected terrorists during the 24-hour operation, including an entire cell responsible for mortar attacks on coalition forces in Baqubah. They also found several small caches which included grenades, AK-47s, ammunition, bomb-making materials and terrorist propaganda. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment move toward a Chinook helicopter south of Baqubah April 17. The battalion air assaulted into the farming community in search of al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists that might have fled there during a clearing operation in Buhriz two days earlier. Soldiers of 5-20 Inf. Regt., 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., captured a dozen suspected terrorists during the 24-hour operation, including an entire cell responsible for mortar attacks on coalition forces in Baqubah. They also found several small caches which included grenades, AK-47s, ammunition, bomb-making materials and terrorist propaganda. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)




FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - NORTH AT:
TFLIGHTNING.PAO-AT-US.ARMY.MIL

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 3BCT, 5-20 Infantry

A Soldier with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., pulls security during a night mission in Baqubah, Iraq, March 25. Soldiers of the Stryker battalion arrived in the city on March 13 to reinforce recent successes made by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)




Soldiers with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis Wash., move through the outskirts of palm groves in Baqubah, Iraq, during a night mission March 25. Soldiers of the Stryker battalion arrived in the city on March 13 to reinforce recent successes made by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)



Soldiers with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis Wash., talk inside of a building they searched during a night mission in Baqubah, Iraq, March 25. Soldiers of the Stryker battalion arrived in the city on March 13 to reinforce recent successes made by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)



A Soldier with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., monitors his tactical radio inside of a building Soldiers of Co. A searched during a night mission in Baqubah, Iraq, March 25. Soldiers of the Stryker battalion arrived in the city on March 13 to reinforce recent successes made by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 3SBCT, 5-20 Infantry, Baqubah, Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, photos, US Army

Women and children from a Shia neighborhood in Baqubah file past a Stryker vehicle of Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., March 22. Soldiers of Company A visited a sheik in the neighborhood and met with area residents. The unit arrived in Baqubah on March 13 to reinforce recent successes by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


A schoolgirl in a Shia neighborhood in Baqubah stares at a Stryker vehicle of Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., March 22. Soldiers of Company A visited a sheik in the neighborhood and met with area residents. The unit arrived in Baqubah on March 13 to reinforce recent successes by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


Schoolgirls in a Shia neighborhood in Baqubah file past a Stryker vehicle of Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., March 22. Soldiers of Company A visited a sheik in the neighborhood and met with area residents. The unit arrived in Baqubah on March 13 to reinforce recent successes by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


A Soldier with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., walks by a bullet-ridden window in a building in Baqubah March 22. Soldiers of Company A visited a sheik in the neighborhood and met with area residents. The unit arrived in Baqubah on March 13 to reinforce recent successes by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


A Soldier with Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., pulls security from a rooftop in Baqubah March 22. Soldiers of Company A visited a sheik in the neighborhood and met with area residents. The unit arrived in Baqubah on March 13 to reinforce recent successes by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 3SBCT, 5-20 Infantry, Baqubah, Iraq

STRYKER BATTALION
Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conduct their first mission in the Diyala province, engaging anti-Iraqi forces in Baqubah, Iraq, March 14, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 2ID, 3BCT, 5-20 Infantry, Baqubah, Iraq, photos

SECURING BAQUBAH — U.S. Army Spc. Alex Horton with Company B, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, pulls security in Baqubah, March 14, 2007, during the company’s first mission in the city. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico

Labels: 3SBCT, 5-20 Infantry, Baqubah, Iraq, US Army