BAGHDAD — U.S. officials said Iraqi and U.S. military forces completed two days of operations last week and seized dozens of insurgents. The officials said several missions were launched, including that by the Interior Ministry.

Altogether, Iraqi and U.S. soldiers captured 33 insurgency suspects, seized two million Iraqi dinars and confiscated bomb-making material on June 8 and 9. Officials said that in one operation the Iraqi Interior Ministry's Wolf Brigade rounded up 23 suspects, Middle East Newsline reported.

[On Saturday, U.S. troops and aircraft launched another major operation near the Syrian border. The military said about 40 insurgents were killed.] The Wolf Brigade, comprised largely of Shi'ites, has been targeted by Sunni insurgents. A former member of the brigade entered its headquarters and blew himself up over the weekend. Three other people were killed as well.

The Iraqi military operations focused on the Baghdad area as part of Operation Cobra Lightening. Military and security forces also captured foreign fighters, including those from Egypt, Sudan and the Palestinian Authority.

At the same time, about 45 people have been killed over the last two days in Sunni insurgency attacks. Many of the casualties resulted from a bombing in Baghdad's Shula district, comprised mostly of Shi'ites.

Officials said a growing number of Iraqi units have demonstrated their effectiveness in responding to intelligence and working with U.S. troops, particularly those from Task Force Baghdad. They said Iraqi troops have helped foil numerous suicide bombings.

"The operations and arrests made by the Iraqi security forces over the past couple of days continue to demonstrate that the Iraqis can and are taking the fight to the terrorists," Task Force Baghdad spokesman Lt. Col. Clifford Kent said.