Iraqi forces have seized a senior militant leader linked to Jordanian mastermind Abu Musab Al Zarqawi and accused of overseeing an array of deadly attacks in Iraq, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday. A spokesman for the ministry said Mullah Mahdi, sometimes known as Prince of Princes or Abu Abdul Rahman, was detained after a raid backed by US troops on Friday in the northern city of Mosul, where insurgents have built a base of operations. "This is a very significant achievement. Mullah Mahdi is one of the most dangerous terrorists in the country," the spokesman said. He would not give details of the operation but said six others, including Mahdi's brother, were also seized. Mahdi is believed to be a senior member of Army of Ansar al-Sunna, one of Iraq's most feared militant groups, responsible for a series of spectacular attacks in Iraq, including a blast inside a US military mess hall in Mosul late last year. Ansar al-Sunna is believed to have links to Al Qaeda in Iraq, the group led by Zarqawi, Washington's most-wanted man in Iraq, with a $25 million award being offered for information leading to his capture or death.