A bridge probably built by insurgents to smuggle munitions from Diyala Province to Baghdad fell on Oct. 15 under a barrage from USAF strike aircraft, according to a Multinational Force Iraq release. The Army’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team coordinated the operation, dubbed Marne Anvil, as part of its mission to disrupt the munitions flow into Baghdad. Maj. Dave Fivecoat with the 3rd HBCT said, “Insurgents and weapons smugglers will now be limited to crossing points into Baghdad that are guarded by our Iraqi security force partners.”
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…