AQI member killed in Saturdays operation
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: A member of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) was killed during the security operation that resulted in the capture of assailants on Baghdads Our Lady of Salvation Church on Saturday, Iraqs interior minister revealed.
A leading member of the AQI, known as Abi Ammar al-Nejadi, was killed by Iraqi security forces, Jawad al-Bolani said in statements reported by the semi-official al-Iraqiya TV.
Earlier, a security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency that the security operation, conducted in al-Mansour neighborhood, western Baghdad, targeted the detention of the so-called AQI ruler of Baghdad.
A number of his escorts, one of them wounded in clashes with security forces, were captured, the source said.
Maj. General Ahmed Abu-Rugheaf, the ministrys police affairs director, said the name of that so-called ruler is Abu Hussein, a dentist and a former inmate of Basras Boca prison. Abu-Rugheaf had said the terrorist group that attacked Our Lady of Salvation Church earlier this month was arrested on Saturday.
Security forces arrested the 12-man terrorist group, among them the new military commander of al-Qaeda Organization in Baghdad, he said in statements broadcast by al-Iraqiya.
The group members confessed to involvement in and responsibility for the attack on Our Lady of Salvation Church. They also confessed to their participation in a large number of terrorist operations, including attacks on gold jewelry stores, the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), al-Arabiya channel and the recent blasts in Baghdad, as well as to home-making of explosive charges and belts, he added.
Six tons of explosive charges, along with a quantity of toxic material, were also seized in their hideout, he said.
Posted by: Steve White 2010-11-28 |