Leading al-Qaeda member arrested in Thi Qar

THI QAR / IraqiNews.com: Thi Qar police sources announced today the arrest of a leading member in al-Qaeda organization. The suspect was from Diala province, and aimed at exploding the central parking garage in Nassiriya.   The director of police told IraqiNews.com that police have continued their investigations, and are presently searching his residence in the province, 5 km southwest of Nassiriya.   Al-Qaeda organization confessed that it was responsible for Bat’ha’ central market, 50 km north west Nassiriya, with a bombed car in 2009, which resulted in 100 casualties.   The culprit was captured and confessed to his crime, but was able to escape from the presidential palaces in Basra lately.   Nassiriya, the center of the province, lies 380 km south of the capital, Baghdad.   RM (TS)/SR 940