5 Popular Committees members arrested in Diala

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: A joint police and anti-terror force in Diala arrested five members of the Popular Committees, including the group’s spokesman, south of Baaquba city on Tuesday, a security source in the province said. “The five, including spokesman Abu Bismellah, were captured in a search raid in different areas of Buhrez district, (5 km) south of Baaquba,” the source told IraqiNews.com. “The five men are wanted on different scores,” the source said, not revealing more details. The Popular Committees are armed organizations that also include the 1920 Revolution Brigades, Salah al-Din Brigades and Hamas, which all had defected from al-Qaeda Organization in Iraq to fight it alongside the U.S. forces. Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad. AmR (P) 1