Quick Reaction Force 1 secures Quibla from criminal militias

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Quibla, Iraq (April 12) - As dawn broke over the town of Quibla, Iraq, soldiers from Quick Reaction Force 1 of the 1^st Iraqi Army Quick Reaction force fanned out and began searching the city house-by-house for illegal weapons. 

     QRF 1, deployed from al-Anbar province on April 1 had been setting the stage for Operation Charge of the Knight since their arrival.  In the previous two weeks they, along with elements of the 14^th Iraqi Army Division and local police cordoned off the city and established basis at strategic points on the perimeter. 

     Operation Charge of the Knight represented the first large-scale push into areas that until now had been strongholds of the local militias and other criminal elements.

     “Today’s operation is very good,” said Sgt. Hasib abu Qadir of QRF 1. “It is very necessary to provide security to the people of this area.”

After crossing the line of departure the brigade immediately began working with the local citizens to collect heavy weapons, explosives and other contraband items. 

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At the end of the day combined efforts of QRF 1 and the other Iraqi Army and police units resulted in 57 suspected militia members and other criminals detained, 82 mortars and rockets along with 6 mortar tubes, 74 rocket-propelled grenade warheads and 23 launchers, nineteen machineguns of various varieties and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition, as well as 15 artillery shells of different varieties and other explosives

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            Following the end of the days operations, the QRF 1 units remained in place to continue to provide security for the citizens of Quibla and continue to deliver humanitarian supplies, such as water and halal meals, to the members of the community.

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