US and Iraqi troops have arrested dozens of suspected extremists during a joint massive military offensive in northern Iraq, security sources in Tikrit said yesterday. One of the arrested suspects is believed to be a wanted terrorist from Samarra, the sources said. Soldiers arrested several suspects in a factory in Dur, one police officer said. Out of the people detained initially, 20 were released, Salahuddin province Deputy Gov. Abdullah Al-Jebara said in Tikrit.Operation Swarmer was launched Thursday northeast of Samarra, where an insurgent bombing on Feb. 22 badly damaged a major Shiite shrine and ignited days of sectarian bloodshed across Iraq in which more than 500 people died. Up to 200 foreign terrorists are believed to have been hiding out between the cities of Samarra and Dur. However, in Tikrit there was speculation the terrorists had learned of the US plans in advance and had fled the area.
| Mahmoud the Weasel, still on the job... |