Iraq: US military raids net 2 al-Qaida suspects, Shi'ite militia leader

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Two al-Qaida in Iraq bombing suspects and a Shiite militia leader were captured Tuesday in separate US operations north and south of Baghdad, the military said. One of the men, arrested along with four aides, is believed to oversee security for al-Qaida's Iraq branch in Mosul - one of the terror network's last urban strongholds where US and Iraqi forces have waged fierce battles against militants in recent months. The man is also suspected of masterminding bombings targeting Iraqi police in the area, according to a US military statement. The other al-Qaida in Iraq suspect was captured along with an assistant in Tikrit, a Sunni Muslim city north of the capital. He allegedly facilitated suicide bombings and "foreign terrorist movement" for al-Qaida, the statement said. Meanwhile, the military said it also captured a suspected Shi'ite militia leader Tuesday south of Baghdad.