Police detain 8 al-Qaeda members in Diala

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: Police forces arrested eight al-Qaeda gunmen and defused five bombs Friday during security raids in separate areas of Diala, the chief of the Diala police said. “Police forces waged military operations Friday (Mar. 20) in separate areas of Baaquba, where they arrested eight al-Qaeda members,” General Abdul Hussein al-Shemri told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Five bombs were defused during the operations; two found near a store in central Baladruz, southwest of Baaquba, and three on the main road of Abi Saida district in Muqdadiya, northeast of Baaquba,” he added. Baaquba, the capital of Diala, is 57 km northeast of Baghdad. SH (P) 1