Anti-Iraq forces fire on Marines from mosque

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Press Release
Public Affairs Office
1st MARINE DIVISION
1stLt Eric M. Knapp
Contact: KnappEM@1mardivdm.usmc.mil
Release # 0507-04-1401

Anti-Iraq forces fire on Marines from mosque

April 18, 2004

AR RAMADI, IRAQ -- Anti-Iraq forces took up military positions in a mosque and a nearby building in Fallujah today.

Anti-Iraq forces occupying a building adjacent to a mosque attacked the crew of an M1-A1 tank. The crew returned fire with the tank’s main gun, destroying the structure and killing one enemy who was armed with a rocket-propelled grenade. Multiple secondary explosions were observed.

At the same time, a nearby group of Marines came under sniper fire from the minaret of the mosque. Marines returned fire and no further hostile fire came from the mosque. Also in Fallujah, anti-Iraq forces employing small arms fire repeatedly engaged Marines. The Marines soon neutralized this threat by killing 5 enemy combatants.

Marines continued operations near the Iraqi border town of Husaybah after coming under attack by enemy forces there yesterday. Marines killed four and detained two Anti-Iraq fighters after their vehicle attempted to run a checkpoint on a road leading out of the city. Marines there reported they have taken at least 60 detainees.

Marines operating near Ramadi raided a building for enemy personnel and weapons caches. No enemy personnel were found at the site, but the Marines recovered 40 82 mm mortars, one 100 mm round, one Russian-made sniper rifle and 500 7.62 mm rounds.

Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, assigned to the 1st Marine Division, captured four enemy fighters from two separate locations in coordinated raids near Ramadi. They recovered three AK-47s, three empty Ak-47 magazines, one full AK-47 magazine, 30 feet of wire attached to a suspected IED command-detonation device and one mortar sight.