Topic: US confirms raid in Shiite holy city, captures explosive supplier

Media:AFP
Byline:n/a
Date:22 Sept 2006

Body:


BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept 21, 2006 (AFP) - The US military confirmed late Thursday
an Iraqi army raid in the Shiite holy city of Najaf and announced the
capture of a wanted transporter of explosives.

A top aide of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and three members of his
movement were arrested in Najaf in a pre-dawn swoop by security forces on
Thursday, the Sadr office had told AFP.

The US military has not disclosed the identity of the captured individuals.

The US military first did not confirm any operation in Najaf, but in a
statement issued late on Thursday, it said that an Iraqi army unit conducted
an early morning raid in Najaf.

The raid was to "capture a person wanted for facilitating the transport and
use of improvise-explosive devices against Iraqi and coalition forces", it
said.

"Iraqi forces entered the home and quickly detained the suspect and two
others without further incident. The suspect and his belonging later tested
positive for exposure to explosives used in making IEDs."

The Iraqi forces were backed by US military advisors in the raid, it added.

Sadr's close aide Salal al-Obeidi, along with cleric Bassim al-Ghuraifi and
two others have been arrested on Thursday in Najaf, Sadr's office told AFP.