Islamic State terrorist arrested while planting bomb in Iraq’s Samarra
Iraqi security forces arrest a suspected member of the Islamic State group in Iraq. File photo
Samarra (IraqiNews.com) – An Islamic State militant was arrested Saturday while trying to plant a bomb in the Iraqi city of Samarra, a police chief said.
“A terrorist wearing military uniforms was apprehended during his attempt to plant an explosive charge on a street, east of Samarra, in Salahuddin,” Mawazin News website quoted the city’s police chief Jabbar al-Rubei as saying.
“The terrorist admitted to belonging to the terrorist Islamic State group,” al-Rubei said, warning that the extremist group still launches attacks against government premises and holy sites with the aim of undermining security in the city of Samarra.
Iraqi authorities regularly announce the capture of Islamic State extremists in different parts in the country since the collapse of the group’s territorial influence in the country in December 2017.
Iraqi courts have sentenced many of Islamic State members, including a big number of female members, to death over joining the militant group.
The exact number of detained militants is still unknown, however, it’s estimated to be at thousands. It’s also unclear how many members are likely to face death sentences.
Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.