Forces in Iraq Arrest Terrorism Suspects

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 19, 2009 - Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested suspected terrorist cell leaders, detained other suspected terrorists and seized weapons in Iraq in recent days, military officials reported. In Salahuddin province, Iraqi emergency response battalion constables, with U.S. advisors, arrested the director of a terrorist media cell Oct. 16.

Nusayr Khudr Sulaymen is suspected of being the director of the Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq Naqshabandi terrorist media cell. The media cell is responsible for spreading terrorist propaganda throughout northern Iraq and has been linked to providing doctrine involving terrorist methods to the media.

Sulaymen and five media cell members were arrested for allegedly providing information connected with terrorist activities to the media in an effort to promote illegal activity.

The Iraqi constables arrested Sulaymen and searched the residence without incident. They conducted the arrest under the authority of a warrant issued by the Higher Judicial Council of the Central Investigative Court of Karkh.

Elsewhere, Hit special weapons and tactics personnel, with U.S. forces advisors, arrested Akram Hamid Abd al-Fallah on Oct. 15 after a warrant was issued by the Hit Superior Judicial Council. The suspect is a former member of Provincial Security Force 5, and was arrested for allegedly setting up a fake checkpoint and robbing passersby near Baghdad. After his original arrest for corruption charges, he escaped from custody and fled the area.

In Anbar province, an Iraqi police counterterrorism unit, with U.S. forces advisors, arrested a suspected al-Qaida vehicle-bomb operative and builder Oct. 14 who is suspected of leading a cell operating in the Ramadi area. The forces were operating under the direction of the Iraqi Defense Ministry and the Anbar Operations Center.

In other operations in Iraq:

-- The Iraqi commandos, with U.S. forces advisors, arrested six alleged al-Qaida cell members Oct. 14 near Habbaniyah. The warrants were issued by Iraq's Higher Judicial Council Magistrate Court. The alleged terrorists are suspected of robbery and murder, and are believed to be connected to numerous terrorist activities and crimes.

-- Qaim special weapons and tactics personnel, with U.S. forces advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist and murderer Oct. 14 in Anbar province. The warrant was issued by the Investigative Court of Qaim.

-- Iraqi soldiers seized a weapons cache in western Mosul's Yarmook neighborhood while conducting a mission to clear rubble in the area Oct. 15. The cache contained 69 mortar s, though the ordnance was mostly empty shells and did not contain explosives. An Iraqi army explosives ordnance detachment, aided by U.S. personnel, was called in to dispose of the cache. The cache was transported northeast of the city and was safely detonated the same day.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)