‘Islamic State of Iraq’ leader nabbed in Kirkuk

Islamic State of Iraq’ leader nabbed in Kirkuk KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com: A key leader of the self-styled ‘Islamic State of Iraq’ was arrested during a security operation in southern Kirkuk province, a local police chief said on Sunday. “This morning, police forces launched a security campaign in al-Askari neighborhood, Huweija district (60 km south of Kirkuk), during which Abdeljabbar Mohammed al-Dulaimi, a prominent leader of the so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq’ was arrested,” Brig. Sarhad Qadir told IraqiNews.com. Kirkuk, 250 km (156 miles) north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, sits on the ruins of a 5,000-year-old settlement. Because of the strategic geographical location of the city, Kirkuk was the battle ground for three empires, Assyria, Babylonia and Media which controlled the city at various times. Kirkuk is the centre of the northern Iraqi petroleum industry. It is a historically and ethnically mixed city populated by Assyrians, Kurds, Arabs and Iraqi Turkmen. The population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2008. SS (P) 1