THE Black Watch today launched its biggest offensive since being controversially deployed to central Iraq, targeting a suspected insurgent hotbed dubbed "Millionaires’ Row".
About 60 of the 80 suspects detained this morning were later released but officials said suspected bomb-making equipment had been found. There were no reported casualties.
The detainees will be questioned to see if they have any connections with recent attacks on British and US forces.
The operation is aimed at rooting out insurgents in the lawless area of northern Babil province, just south of Baghdad.
The Black Watch’s task was to target a specific stretch of road where the elite of Saddam Hussein’s regime, including members of his Special Republican Guard and leading Baath Party officials, have their luxurious country retreats.
After leaving their base, Camp Dogwood, in the early hours of this morning, the Black Watch approached the area in 33-tonne Warrior armoured fighting vehicles.
They have been gathering intelligence on Millionaires’ Row since arriving at Dogwood more than three weeks ago.
There were several "high-value" suspects whose homes they raided first before searching the other properties on the road.
The Black Watch raids were part of an ongoing joint operation, codenamed Plymouth Rock, with the US 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is based further to the east in Babil province.
A British military spokesman in Babil said: "Although operations are ongoing, initial indications show this morning’s raids have been a success. With continued pressure we hope to root out insurgents and make the area safe for the local population."
There have been unconfirmed reports that the most wanted terrorist in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is taking refuge in north Babil.
Meanwhile, police said today they had arrested five Arab foreign fighters who escaped from Fallujah with plans to attack coalition troops and police in southern Basra.
The men have been identified as Mohammed Faleh and Bassem Faleh, from Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Hassan and Walid Mohammed, from Tunisia, and Mohammed al-Hadi, from Libya. They told police they were heading to Basra to attack police stations and coalition bases in the area.
• An American civilian working with at the country’s embassy has been killed in a gun attack outside the Green Zone in Baghdad. He has been named as James Mollen, a State Department education specialist.
by Nick Allen
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