And then Iraqi ground forces move in. And the target area is northeast of Samarra. It looks like the equivalent of two battalions took part.
Any relation to the terror bombing of the Shia shrine there? I wonder what we found?
UPDATE: Pretty quiet so far. Appears to be a couple companies of American troops plus aviation assets involved and a couple battalions of Iraqis. Iraqi battalions tend to be smaller so two could fit in the number given and it makes sense that two separate units--one going overland and one by air assault--were involved. The American number could indicate one battalion but from earlier unit designations and the fact that the number appears to be total Americans involved and not just infantry, I'll guess two companies of the 101st.
And note that the reporter seems confused that the military uses the term "air assault." "Assault" in this case is not a synonym for "attack." We didn't Arc Light a chunk of Iraqi real estate. It just means that the troops were moved in by helicopter directly into the combat zone.
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) trains to assault from the air. By helicopter. Which is different from the 82nd Airborne, which jumps from perfectly good planes to land by parachute.
Still, I wonder if the enemy skedaddled because of a security breach, notwithstanding the second article's reporting that we achieved "tactical surprise." That term doesn't exactly mean the same as no surprise by a long shot.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Still quiet:
In Operation Swarmer, described as the biggest helicopter-borne operation in three years when it began Thursday, the joint U.S.-Iraqi force captured six people, not further identified, allegedly responsible for the March 11 killing of Amjad Hameed, a journalist for the television network al-Iraqiya, and his driver, the government reported.
About 80 suspected insurgents overall had been detained as of Saturday, and 17 were released after questioning, said Lt. Col. Edward S. Loomis, a 101st Airborne Division spokesman. He said the search teams turned up 15 weapons caches containing 352 mortar rounds, 84 rocket-propelled grenades and a "significant amount" of material for making improvised roadside bombs, among other items.
A lot of effort for some weapons caches. Nobody is willing to defend them, that's for sure. Is this because nobody was there or they ran before we arrived? If they ran, why? Brains or fear?
