Delta Force Rescue Roy Hallums
September 7, 2005 - Iraq
On November 1, 2004, American contractor Roy Hallums and 5 other people were kidnapped when gunmen stormed a compound in Baghdad. Hallum, Philippino Roberto Tarongoy, a Nepalese man called Inus Dewari and 3 Iraqis were taken by the gunmen. Dewari and the 3 Iraqis were released not long after the initial abduction. Tarongoy was freed in June, 2005 and reported that Hallums was alive and conveyed the kidnapper's demand for a 12 million dollar ransom.
In September 2005, an Iraqi who had been detained by coalition forces provided intelligence on the possible location where Hallums was being held: a farmhouse some 15 miles south of the Iraqi capital.
On September 7, 2005, Delta Force operators loaded onto helicopters operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and flew to the target farmhouse, swooping down and entering the buildings. Inside, they found that the kidnappers had fled.
Hallums had been imprisoned in a cement cell built under the farmhouse floor, a breathing tube providing him air. Delta Force operators broke their way into the cell. Finding Hallums, one of the troopers asked him, "Are you Roy?". " Yes", he replied. "Jackpot!" shouted the Delta operator, letting his team mates know they had found their man. Hallums long nightmare was now over and he was soon home with his family.
Video - includes helmat-cam footage of the Delta Force Operation :
