Operation Shank continues 

Operation Harba (Shank) is the fifth in a series of operations by the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces conducting combined clearing operations to disrupt the insurgency and set the conditions for a successful Dec. 15 election in the Al Anbar provincial capital of Ar Ramadi.Iraqi Army soldiers and U.S. Forces began the operation in the early morning hours by conducting targeted raids on suspected insurgent safe houses in central Ramadi resulting in the discovery of bomb making material.Operation Shank follows four previous disruption operations which began Nov. 16 in the Al Anbar provincial capital. The purpose of the operation is to disrupt an insurgent group that utilizes an area of Ramadi as its base for attacks on local Ramadi citizens, Iraqi and U.S. military. Approximately 200 Iraqi Army soldiers from 1st Brigade, 7th Division and 300 Marines from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, are taking part in Operation Shank. The operation was carefully planned by using information and intelligence gathered by Iraqi and U.S. Forces operating in the city on a daily basis. There is no correlation between Operation Shank and the erroneous reports which were circulated by insurgent propagandist.Due to operations in and around Ramadi and in Western Al Anbar attacks by al-Qaeda in Iraq-led insurgent have decreased in Ramadi 60 percent in the last month.