SECURITY: Eight al-Qaeda elements arrested in Kirkuk
Blindfolded suspected terrorists arrested by Iraqi special operations commandos during recent security operations in Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, are put on display by authorities Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com: Eight al-Qaeda members, belonging to the so-called “Islamic Jihad Group,” one of al-Qaeda Organization’s flanks, charged with having launched armed attacks in Kirkuk Province, were arrested on Thursday, the City’s Assistant Director of the Kurdish Asayish (security) forces announced. “A force belonging to our Directorate, in cooperation with Kirkuk‘s Police and Iraqi Army has detained 8 elements of the “Islamic Jihad Group,” belonging to al-Qaeda Organization,” Colonel Salar Khalid told a news conference at Kirkuk‘s Asayish Directorate on Thursday afternoon, attended by IraqiNews.com news agency. Colonel Khalid said that “the Network’s elements were involved in implementing several terrorist attacks inside Dibbis township, 40 km to the west of Kirkuk, especially the recent explosions that took place in the township, including the laying down of an explosive charge under the car of the township’s governor and the killing of one of the cadres of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), with an explosive charge on Dec.20th last, along with shooting of Dibbis Governor’s son, wounding him, and planting 3 explosive charges close to houses of citizens and Army personnel in the area. Kirkuk is 280 km to the northeast of the Iraqi Capital of Baghdad.