Kilo Marines and EOD detonating an IED in Haqlaniyah, May 2006.

A deafening ‘boom’ and rising cloud of black smoke are the remnants of the explosion caused by a roadside bomb, which U.S. Marines found May 30, 2006, during a patrol in Haqlaniyah, Iraq, a city of 30,000 nestled along the Euphrates River Northwest of Baghdad. Marines operating in the insurgent-heavy Euphrates Valley have developed a knack for locating improvised explosive devices – seemingly the number one weapon of choice of insurgents in Al Anbar Province. Shortly after the Marines found the IED, military helicopters spotted two more insurgents placing another IED on the same roadway only kilometers away. Both men were detained. Everyday Marines and Iraqi soldiers patrol the volatile streets of Haqlaniyah. An Explosive Ordinance Disposal team detonated the roadside bomb to prevent it from doing harm to anyone traveling the road. The Marines say they are sending out a strong message to insurgents – hostile acts towards Coalition Forces will not be tolerated. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle