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Air Force Reserve F-16s strike insurgents in Iraq

  • Published
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Air Force Reserve Command F-16s along with Air Force F-15s and Predators flew air strikes against insurgents near the Iraqi-Syria border Nov. 14 in support of Operation Steel Curtain.

Reservists from the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, provided ground support for U.S. forces after they swept into Ubaydi, a town near Karabilah.

The reservists deployed in October for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Also deployed or in the process of deploying to the region are reservists from three other F-16 wings – the 419th FW, Hill Air Force Base, Utah; 482nd FW, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.; and 944th FW, Luke AFB, Ariz.

The intent of Operation Steel Curtain is to restore Iraqi sovereign control along the Iraq-Syria border and to destroy al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq operating throughout the Al Qa’im region.

Coalition forces cleared the towns of Husaybah and Karabilah earlier in the operation which began Nov. 5 and established a permanent security presence. About 1,000 Iraqi army soldiers and 2,500 U.S. Marines, Soldiers and Sailors are participating in Operation Steel Curtain.

U.S. commanders suspect many of the terrorists in Ubaydi fled from Husaybah and Karabilah. Although fighting has been sporadic, the commanders said it was some of the heaviest they’ve seen since Operation Steel Curtain began. Intelligence reports indicate the terrorists are putting up strong resistance because they believe they are trapped and have nowhere else to go.

Air strikes accounted for most of the 80 terrorists killed since Coalition Forces entered Ubaydi early Nov. 15. Some insurgents died as a result of direct small arms fire engagements.

Iraqi and Coalition Forces continue to clear the city house-by-house, occasionally encountering buildings that are rigged with explosives and triggered to detonate upon entering the building. They seized and destroyed 36 weapons caches which included suicide vests and bomb making material and found 107 improvised explosive devices and mines. Detained terrorists revealed the precise locations of many of the IEDs.

Operation Steel Curtain netted about 150 terrorists in the first 10 days. Several of them were captured after attempting to sneak out of the area by crawling among a flock of sheep.

Located 12 miles from the Syrian border, Ubaydi is on the banks of the Euphrates and divided into two main areas. The Iraqi army and Coalition Forces cleared Old Ubaydi. Now they are focusing on wiping out al-Qaeda strongholds in New Ubaydi.

Operation Steel Curtain is part of the larger Operation Sayaid (Hunter). The larger offensive is designed to prevent al Qaeda from operating in the Euphrates River Valley and throughout Al Anbar while establishing a permanent Iraqi army presence in the Al Qa’im region. (AFRC News Service from a U.S. Central Command Air Forces news release)