3rd HBCT Kills Top Insurgent

Video footage of insurgents firing rockets aimed at Coalition Forces. The insurgent-produced videotape was found by Soldiers during a raid. Footage also shows insurgents setting up and firing a rocket that landed near FOB Hammer Aug. 5. On July 11, there were 12 rockets fired at FOB Hammer, killing one Soldier and wounding 15 others.

This snapshot was taken from the captured insurgent-produced video. It shows 46 rocket launchers all aimed at American Soldiers occupying FOB Hammer.

SGT. NATALIE ROSTEK
3RD HBCT PUBLIC AFFAIRS

FOB HAMMER —A 500-pound bomb and guided artillery shells, courtesy of the 3rd Brigade Heavy Brigade Combat Team and the U.S. Air Force,ended future threats from one of the top insurgents in the Salman Pak area Wednesday evening. The initial strike killed 10 insurgents,destroyed a house, and caused secondary explosions.

3rd HBCT kills top insurgent According Maj.Wolf Biggerstaff,intelligence officer for 3rd HBCT, the primary target was a known weapons smuggler directly involved in supplying arms and munitions to Sunni extremists. He is also known to have attacked American troops during an operation in June.

After two F-16 fighters destroyed the insurgent’s house, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, fired two 155mm Excalibur GPS-guided shells toward the target, killing seven.

“The 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, did a phenomenal job tracking (the insurgent) for the past two months,” said Maj. David Fivecoat, of Delaware, Ohio, operations officer for 3rd HBCT. “Everything lined up last night, and we were able to eliminate this serious threat to the security of the Mada’in Qada.” In total, 16 insurgents were killed in the attack in addition to the primary target.

The 1-10 FA and the 1-15th Inf. Regt. are assigned to 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning, Ga. The 3rd HBCT has been deployed to Iraq since March 2007.