Baghdad, March 04: Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) arrested eight suspected terrorists, U.S. Forces in Iraq said on Wednesday.
Four joint security operations conducted in central and northern Iraq on Wednesday led to the arrests, which included an alleged attack-group leader, believed to be assisting the al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) terrorist group in planning and carrying out pre-election attacks.
ISF and U.S. advisors searched several residential building during two operations in western and southwestern Baghdad, and the 3rd Emergency Response Unit and U.S. advisors searched several other buildings during another two operations in Hafriyah, located approximately 89 km southeast of Kirkuk, and in a rural area located approximately 102 km northeast of Baghdad.
The security team found materials used to make improvised-explosive devices, multiple triggering devices for explosives, and questioning and an examination of evidence at the different scenes led ISF and Iraqi Police to identify and arrest two wanted AQI leaders and six suspected criminal associates.
Several public announcements had previously expressed the AQI leaders’ intention to stage pre-election attacks against civilians and security forces in an attempt to discourage voters from participating in national elections.
–Agencies–