Suicide truck bomber hits U.S. patrol in Mosul, IED factory destroyed in Tikrit

BAGHDAD, Dec. 7 (Xinhua News) -- A suicide truck bomber struck a U.S.patrol in northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday, damaging two U.S. Humvees, local police said.
"A suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden refrigerator truck into a U.S. patrol at about 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) in the Muthanna neighborhood in eastern Mosul City and detonated it," a well-informed police source in the city told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. troops cordoned off the area, preventing the local police from approaching, said the source, adding that two U.S.Humvees were totally destroyed.


IA, CF discover, destroy IED factory
Dec. 9, 2006 TIKRIT, Iraq – While conducting a series of cordon and knocks throughout Baqubah Friday, Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Iraqi Army, with support from 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, discovered an improvised explosive device factory inside a house. The factory contained more than five rocket-propelled grenades, small arms munitions, 1,000 pounds of fertilizer, blasting caps and timers, fuel containers, several hundred feet of detonation cord, two compressed air tank IEDs and other IED-making materials. “It is believed that the IED factory used by the terrorists was intended for attacks on Iraqi Security Forces and local citizens based on its proximity to other recent attacks in the area,” said Col. David W. Sutherland, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division commander and senior U.S. Army officer in the Diyala province. “The terrorists are using these materials to kill those that desire a safe and secure Iraq. Their goals have no political, economic or religious objectives – only death,” Sutherland added.Upon discovery, the unit requested support from a coalition forces explosive ordinance disposal unit. The EOD unit determined the material was too unstable to move and conducted a controlled detonation on site.Before the controlled detonation, the Iraqi Army soldiers, with support from Coalition Forces, went door to door to ensure the community was informed about the IED factory and cleared from their homes. Multi-National Division – North PAO