The operation has resulted in U.S. casualties. At least three U.S.
soldiers were killed in a suicide car bombing on Sunday in the Diyala
province. Attacks were also reported against U.S. troops in Baquba, in which
three Iraqi civilians were killed.
"Iraqi and coalition forces have degraded Al Qaida in Iraq's vehicle
bomb networks in Baghdad in recent months, which has contributed to reduced
violence here in the capital," U.S. military spokesman Adm. Gregory Smith
said. "But this is a continued effort. Car and truck bombs remain Al Qaida's
primary weapon."
The military said Operation Iron Hammer consisted of three U.S. brigade
combat teams and four Iraq Army divisions. Officials said hundreds of Al
Qaida suspects and significant weapons caches have been captured.
"The caches contained more than 500 mortar and artillery rounds, three
tons of homemade explosives, countless IED-making materials, hundreds of
anti-tank and personnel mines and more than 100 machine guns," the military
said.
On Nov. 11, the U.S. military reported the detention of 200 insurgents
in the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Mosul and Salaheddin. Officials said
Iraqi and U.S. troops retrieved Al Qaida documents that outlined the
insurgency
network.
"Every day the streets of Mosul are becoming more vibrant with
shopkeepers, as we provide increased security for the Iraqi people," Brig.
Gen. Moutaa Habib Jassem Jewab, commander of Iraq Army's 2nd Division, said.
