Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080208-11
February 8, 2008

Iraqi National Police disrupt kidnapping attempt on Sons of Iraq
2nd BCT PAO, 82nd Abn. Div. PAO Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police disrupted the kidnapping of six Sons of Iraq from a checkpoint in Baghdad’s Ur neighborhood Feb. 7 and rescued three of the SoI members after a shootout.

The remaining three kidnapped SoI members are still missing.

The incident began at approximately 10:30 a.m. when a group of armed members from the Arkan Hasnawi Special Groups militia cell surrounded a SoI checkpoint, disarmed the guards, and forced them into waiting vehicles.

As the vehicles sped away from the scene with the victims, National Police officers from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi National Police Division arrived and engaged in a brief fire fight with the kidnappers. The intervention of the police allowed three of the kidnapped SoI guards to escape.

The kidnappers escaped with three victims as they fled. Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces are currently mounting an intensive effort to free the three kidnapped guards.

Officials from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, the unit responsible for security in the Ur neighborhood, said the kidnapping was carried out by members for the Arkan Hasnawi special group cell because their criminal operations and control of the local population have been threatened by the increased presence of SoI forces in the area. SoI are local neighborhood volunteers who have made significant contributions in the last six months to the improvement in the Iraq security situation.

-30-

FOR QUERIES, CONTACT MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - BAGHDAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it OR BY PHONE AT:  COMMERCIAL (914) 822-8174 OR IRAQNA 011-964-890-192-4674.