Troops in Iraq Capture Suspected Terrorists

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq detained 12 suspected terrorists yesterday and today, including a suspect linked to the planning of al-Qaida suicide bombings, during operations in Baghdad and in the central and northern parts of the country, military officials said.

In today’s operations:

• In Beiji, coalition forces captured a suspect linked to an al-Qaida bombing network that operates in the Tigris River valley.

• In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be a liaison among various al-Qaida in Iraq networks. Two additional suspects were detained in the operation.

• Coalition forces in Mosul detained a suspected terrorist while targeting al-Qaida-affiliated leaders in the city.

• In eastern Baghdad, coalition forces captured three suspected criminals linked to a terrorist organization. One of the detainees is linked to a propaganda unit for the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist organization. The cell is suspected of making videos of attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces. The videos are used to raise funds and other resources for additional attacks.

Yesterday, U.S. soldiers detained four suspected criminals during an operation in the New Baghdad security district. Two of the detainees were highly sought-after criminals, and one of them is a suspected weapons smuggler, officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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