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English: Iraqi soldiers are taking the lead in security operations to keep criminals and insurgents out of Ar Rutbah � a city of 25,000 about 120 miles east of the Iraqi/Jordanian border in western Al Anbar Province. In recent months, U.S. Marines here say Iraqi soldiers have continually progressed towards operating independently, evidenced by their security operations here. The Iraqi soldiers are providing the majority of security here � checking IDs, searching cars and people at the city's various checkpoints. The Marine unit which works with the Iraqi soldiers here, the Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, is beginning to take more of a backseat role while the Iraqi military conducts daily operations to keep criminals out of the city. Here, an Iraqi soldier checks the ID card of a teenager coming through one of security checkpoints just outside of the city May 1, 2006. The Marines, who were deployed to this same region in 2004, are responsible for supervising the Iraqi soldiers who operate in and around Rutbah, which Marines say was once a smugglers� town and breeding ground for insurgent activity. So far, Iraqi soldiers have caught 64 insurgents since Coalition and Iraqi military forces beefed-up security measures here five months ago.