Tuesday, January 11th 2011
Islamic Army leader arrested in Baghdad
Baghdad, A spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command announced on Tuesday that the leader of the Islamic Army in Iraq and several of its members (IAI) were arrested in Baghdad yesterday in a security operation supervised by the Iraqi PM and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Nouri al-Maliki.
The IAI is one of a number of underground Baathist and Islamist militant (or mujahideen) organizations formed in Iraq following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and the subsequent collapse of the Baathist government headed by Saddam Hussein.
Speaking at a press conference, Baghdad Operations Command spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta told reporters that brigade 54 of the Iraqi army conducted the raid in the capital’s Khadra district in which the IAI leader was arrested in coordination with the Sokour (Falcon) intelligence unit.
“The detainees confessed to conducting several armed attacks in Baghdad and Anbar,” Atta said, adding that various weapons and “tons of explosive materials” were seized under the operation in raids in the Radwaniya, al-America, Yarmouk, Mansour, Zaidan and Karma districts.
The IAI which combines Islamism with Iraqi nationalism, is thought to be the largest militant group consisting of former Baathists. The IAI has conducted numerous attacks against Iraqi soldiers and policemen, as well as Shi'ite militias such as the Mahdi Army and the Badr Organization.
Formed in the Summer of 2003, to fight the invading coalition forces, the IAI has claimed responsibility for a number of high profile kidnappings, assassinations and other acts of insurgent violence.
http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/209577/
