US troops discover car bomb production site in Iraq

2.00pm

BAGHDAD - US soldiers discovered a car bomb production site and detained 51 people for questioning during a two-day search for illegal weapons in Baghdad, the military said on Saturday.

Soldiers found four vehicles, which were apparently being modified for use in bomb attacks, at one site, while searches elsewhere netted rocket-propelled grenade launchers, explosives and bombs designed to be used in roadside attacks.

"Denying the enemy of the Iraqi people the weapons he uses to kill Iraqi civilians is always a remarkable success," Lieutenant Colonel James Hutton, the 1st Cavalry Division's public affairs officer said in a statement. "These discoveries deal a blow to anti-Iraqi forces."

Soldiers also found more than 12 million Iraqi dinars (US$8,275) in three safes at the car-bomb production site, along with AK-47 rifles, ammunition, timers and computer boards. Three people were detained.

At other locations, US troops detained 48 suspects and found weapons including bombs, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, explosives and detonators.

The army said it believed suspects detained during the raids belonged to a cell responsible for killing two US soldiers with roadside bombs. "The soldiers believe they have captured the financier, the explosive device manufacturer, the spotter, and the trigger man," the statement said.

The army did not give dates for the search, saying only that it took place recently.

Guerrillas fighting US forces in Iraq frequently use car bombs or bombs hidden by the roadside to attack American troops and the fledgling security forces of Iraq's interim government.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq