19 wanted men arrested in Basra

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: Security forces captured 19 men wanted on “criminal and terrorist” charges during search raids in different areas of Basra on Friday, a police spokesman in the province said. “Policemen in Basra conducted search raids, arresting 17 men wanted on criminal charges and two on terrorist charges,” the spokesman told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The bomb squad also defused an improvised explosive device (IED) emplaced in central Basra while the policemen seized several unlicensed vehicles and motorbikes,” he added. The oil-rich port city of Basra lies 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (P) 1