MOSUL, Iraq (Army News Service, July 13, 2004) -- One Iraqi National Guardsman was killed and nine others wounded when their convoy was attacked this morning in Mosul. Soldiers returned fire, killing one of the terrorists before they fled.

In the past two weeks, ING battalions from northern Iraq have combined with police and Coalition forces to conduct six joint operations to restore security to the region. Last week, five 1st Infantry Division Soldiers and one Iraqi guardsman were killed and 22 Soldiers wounded July 8 when terrorists attack an ING compound in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

The combined operations have consisted of large-scale house-to-house cordon and search operations in which ING soldiers and Iraqi Police search entire neighborhoods for terrorists, weapons and munitions. The operations have resulted in many arrests of known terrorist suspects and discoveries of large weapons caches.

For instance on July 10, Iraqi Security Forces and Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained two people wanted for anti-Iraqi activities, foiled an improvised explosive device attack and collected a variety of weapons and munitions.

In the attack this morning, terrorists approached the convoy of guardsman and opened fire with small arms as the convoy traveled near the neighborhoods of Al Hadba and Al Qairawan near Mosul University.

The incident is currently under investigation by the Iraqi Police, officials said.

In the July 8 attack on the ING compound, Anti-Iraqi Forces detonated a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device at the base of the compound’s main building around 10a.m. The front section of the building, which housed Task Force 1-26 Infantry and ING Soldiers, collapsed from the blast.

Task Force 1-26 Soldiers at the compound dug into the rubble to find fellow Soldiers, while the Anti-Iraqi Forces continued to attack with mortar fire. Other Soldiers fired 120mm mortars in response. Soldiers of the task force medical platoon treated the casualties and prepared them for evacuation to the Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora aid station.

Numerous combat patrols between the ING compound and Brassfield-Mora were executed in order to evacuate the casualties. While en-route to the aid station, the medics continued to treat the casualties.

(Editors Note: Task Force Olympia and 2nd Lt. Cory Martin, Task Force 1-26 Infantry contributed to this story.)