Marne Torch Continues Clearing Insurgent Safe Havens

Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – Task Force Marne continues its sixth day of offensive operations to clear extremist sanctuaries in the Arab Jabour area which is located southeast of Baghdad.

To date, Marne Torch and Iraqi army units have detained more than five dozen suspected extremists and destroyed more than 17 boats on the Tigris River that are responsible for transporting accelerants into Baghdad. Ground and air forces disrupted insurgent operations by capturing, seizing, and clearing caches that support instability in the area.

U.S. forces killed five insurgents, discovered and destroyed 12 improvised explosive devices, and detained 13 wanted individuals.

More than 2,500 Coalition and Iraqi army forces are participating in Marne Torch, an operation named for the historic British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II that took place in 1942. Members of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, continue to clear the area north of the Arab Jabour area and restrict movement of insurgents and bomb-making material into the area.

A sizable cache found in the Jisr Diyala area Tuesday netted 54 mortar rounds, two artillery rounds, 29 cell phones, 29 nine-volt battery connectors and more than 20 circuit boards – all commonly used in the manufacturing of improvised explosive devices. There have been a total of 17 caches found throughout the Arab Jabour and Salman Pak area.

Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, continue to clear houses and set-up checkpoints around Arab Jabour to stop the flow of accelerants in and out of Baghdad. There have been 237 houses cleared since the start of Marne Torch.