The Long War Journal: Iron Fist - Day Three

Written by Bill Roggio on October 3, 2005 5:24 PM to The Long War Journal

Available online at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2005/10/iron_fist_day_3.php

Day three of Operation Iron Fist has ended. Captain Jeffery Pool states that reports Marines have taken the fight to Karabilah are “not necessarily accurate” and “the operation is taking place in and around the village of Sa’dah.”

This conflicts with Anna Badkhen’s report that Marines entered the town but withdrew. However it is possible Ms. Badkhen confused the location of the engagement (her report from today is likely a summary of the action encountered Sunday). The most of today's fighting occurred north and east of Sa’dah, in the direction of Karabilah.

This morning, Marines discovered a bomb in a home east of Karabilah. The bomb detonated as explosive ordnance specialists were approaching the house to dismantle it. No Marines were injured in the explosion.

Northeast of Sa’dah at 11:15 a.m., U.S. forces discovered a weapons cache consisting of ten 82 mm mortar rounds and two 82 mm mortar tubes. The cache site was destroyed.

At noon, U.S. forces killed two al Qaeda in Iraq insurgents north of Karabilah with 81 mm mortar fire. The pair was observed planting a roadside bomb. The bomb was later destroyed by explosive ordnance specialists.

The Marines were also able to confirm that nineteen terrorists were during the air strikes outside of Karabilah which were mentioned yesterday. This puts the unofficial total number of enemy killed at forty-two.