Iraqi military captures militant leader
16/01/2010 - 14:23:47Iraqi authorities say they have captured a senior leader of a militant group linked to al-Qaida in Iraq.
The arrest comes as Iraq’s government looks to bolster its security credentials ahead of parliamentary elections in March.
Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi announced the capture of Ali al-Azzawi in a televised press conference today.
He identified al-Azzawi as a high-level commander in the Islamic State of Iraq who supervised numerous attacks, including the 2003 bombing of the United Nations’ headquarters in Iraq.
Footage showed a man who identified himself as al-Azzawi saying he was a member of the insurgent organisation.
Such announcements of arrests have sometimes in the past proved premature.
| Related Stories: |
|
