Leader of extremist group arrested in Kirkuk

KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com – A leader of the extremist religious Naqshabandiya group had been detained in a village northwest of northern Iraq ’s oil-rich city of Kirkuk , a police director said on Saturday.   “A joint Iraqi Army and police force, supported by U.S. troops in Kirkuk Province, have implemented a special mission in a village of Huwaija township, 65 kms to the northwest of Kirkuk, arresting Ahmed Mukhlif, a leader of the Naqashabandiya group, charged with Article 4 – terrorism,” Brigadier Sarhad Qader told IraqiNews.com news agency.   “The detainee was charged with having implemented several acts of corruption, killing and abduction, and   his photos were distributed in different parts of Kirkuk Province , where he set fire to the building of Hawija towship’s Council building and three police centers during a demonstration in Hawija on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011,” Brigadier Qader said.   Noteworthy is that clashes between demonstrators and policemen during Kirkuk’s demonstrations on   that day had reached 2 persons killed, 51 injured, including 22 in Hawija township, among them 5 policemen, along with 6 injured persons in Sulaiman-Beg township, 80 kms to the south of Kirkuk.   Kirkuk is 250 kms to the northeast of Baghdad .   PT / SKH         668