[Al Arabiya Latest] The suspected deputy leader of an Iraqi insurgent group allied to al-Qaeda has been arrested along with nine other fighters in the country's north, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.Fakri Hadi Gari was arrested along with the other suspected Ansar al-Islam (AAI) fighters in Iraqi army-led raids in the restive northern city of Mosul on July 24, it said in a statement. "(Gari) is believed to be responsible for AAI recruitment and financing efforts and the operational director for AAI attacks. He is also believed to have facilitated the movement of terrorists across the borders of Iraq," the statement said.
Ansar al-Islam is a predominantly Kurdish group believed to be allied to al-Qaeda in Kurdistan in the country's north. The group operates along the porous border between Iran and Iraq and has been blamed for attacks on coalition forces and Iraqi officials.