Katyushas seized, highwaymen nabbed in Amara

MISSAN / IraqiNews.com: Police forces on Wednesday seized four Katyusha rockets and five launch pads, and arrested nine highwaymen in two separate incidents in Missan province. “Three Katyusha missiles were seized in al-Muallemeen al Jadeed neighborhood, downtown Amara,” the head of relations and media department in Missan police command, Col. Sadeq Sallam, told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Meanwhile, five launch pads, one Katyusha rocket, a battery, a remote control device, and wires were seized in Dor al-Naft area, downtown Amara,” according to Sallam “A gang of nine highwaymen who would stop people traveling on road linking Missan province to Nassiriya and Najaf was arrested,” the same source added. Since June 19, 2008, Iraqi security forces have been conducting a wide-scale security operation called Bashaer al-Salam (Promises of Peace) in Missan with the aim of tracking down armed groups in the province. Amara, the capital city of Missan province, lies 390 km south of Baghdad. SS (P)/SR 1