OIF Summary, Dec. 7, 2009: Forces Arrest Suspects in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2009 -- Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested several terrorism suspects over the past three days, military officials reported.

Iraqi security forces arrested seven people today near Baghdad and Mosul during operations conducted to find and arrest members of the al-Qaida in Iraq network.

Near Mahawil, south of Baghdad, Iraqi police captured a wanted al-Qaida in Iraq member suspected of facilitating terrorist activities, including homemade-bomb attacks, in the region.

Combined security team intelligence led Iraqi police and U.S. advisors to search homes where the al-Qaida in Iraq suspect may have been located. Based on preliminary questioning and evidence discovered on the premises, Iraqi police identified and arrested the al-Qaida in Iraq suspect and an alleged criminal associate.

During a separate security operation in northeastern Mosul, Iraqi security forces and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for an al-Qaida in Iraq member believed to be leading a homemade-bomb cell suspected of staging deadly attacks in the area. Based on evidence gathered at the scene, five people believed to be associates of the al-Qaida in Iraq suspect were arrested without incident.

Meanwhile, Iraqi soldiers arrested two people today in northeastern Baghdad while conducting a security operation to find and arrest a "Promised Day Brigade" terrorist group member.

Based on combined security team intelligence, Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for the suspected Promised Day Brigade member, who is believed to be a leader for a Sadr City-based terrorist cell. He was not located, but preliminary questioning and evidence collected on the premises led to the arrest of two other suspect.

Elsewhere, Iraqi security forces arrested a Jaysh al-Mahdi terrorist group leader and three suspected criminal accomplices yesterday in southeastern Baghdad during a combined operation.

Acting on combined security team intelligence, Iraqi security forces and U.S. advisors searched a building in Sadr City where the suspect was located. He is suspected of transporting explosives and weapons from Iran into Baghdad. The man is believed to have been staging multiple attacks on security forces in Iraq.

Based on preliminary questioning and evidence found on the premises, Iraqi police identified and arrested the suspect and three criminal accomplices without incident.

Northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police arrested two people yesterday while conducting a combined operation to locate and arrest a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member near Bahiyah. Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for an al-Qaida in Iraq suspect who is believed to have close criminal ties to the terror group's leaders in Diyala province. Following preliminary questioning and investigation on the premises, Iraqi police arrested two criminal suspects.

In northern Iraq, Iraqi security forces arrested seven people Dec. 5 during two combined operations conducted to find and arrest several suspected terrorists.

In southwestern Mosul, Iraqi security forces arrested four suspected criminal associates of an al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly has close ties with senior leaders of the terrorist group.

As Iraqi security forces and U.S. advisors approached the building where the al-Qaida in Iraq member was suspected to be located, three men ran out. The security team pursued them and captured two without incident. The third man ran into a nearby building, where he also was captured.

After preliminary questioning and investigation conducted at the scene, Iraqi security forces arrested four suspected criminal accomplices of the wanted man.

In a separate operation in a rural area northwest of Baghdad, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for a suspected terrorist who helped to stage bomb attacks against security forces in Iraq. Based on evidence found at the scene, Iraqi police arrested three criminal suspects.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)