9 AQI members arrested near Khanaqin

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: Emergency Police personnel in Khanaqin, Diala province, captured on Saturday nine armed men of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) network in the district of Jalawlaa, southwest of Khanaqin, the department chief said. “The forces, acting on intelligence tip-offs, launched a large-scale crackdown on villages of Jalawlaa, (30 km) southwest of Khanaqin, and arrested nine AQI operatives,” Maj. Delir Sayyed Qader told IraqiNews.com news agency. Khanaqin, one of the disputed areas between the central government in Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government Kurdistan RegionG) in northern Iraq, lies 155 km northeast of Baaquba. “The raiding force also seized weapons and explosives used by the gunmen in terrorist activities in the area,” he said, adding “the arrested AQI members have been placed under investigative custody. On Friday, Delir said that Emergency Police and Kermian security authorities arrested seven AQI members with 21 small arms seized in their possession in the village of Qaya, between the districts of Jalawlaa and Khanaqin. Baaquba, the capital city of the restive province of Diala, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad. AmR (S) 1