Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070716-03
July 16, 2007

Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces detain insurgent leader and two accessories
Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD – Members of the Iraqi Army, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained three suspected insurgents linked to a rogue group of the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) militia, during a series of operations July 15 in north Baghdad.

One team received small arms fire but safely detained the primary and secondary suspects at the location without injury. The third suspect was detained at a separate target location.

The primary suspect is believed to be a rogue JAM battalion commander and is suspected of organizing kidnappings and leading death squad killings of Sunni Muslim Iraqi citizens. Intelligence suggests he has been involved in more than half of the detonated improvised explosive devices in two of the northern districts of Baghdad.

The second suspect is an alleged rogue JAM cell commander in northern Baghdad under the primary suspect’s control.  The second suspect’s cell is accused of conducting death squad killings of Iraqi civilians and using IED attacks against Coalition Forces.

The third suspect has also been implicated in death squad killings of Iraqi civilians as well as operations using IEDs under the leadership of the primary suspect.

A fourth additional suspect who was present during the operations was also detained.

No Iraqi or Coalition Forces were injured in this operation.

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