News Directory

Baghdad (AFP / Reuters) - U.S. military forces (the U.S.) and Iraqi forces have killed or arrested at least six people suspected leader of Al Qaeda, which is suspected of involvement in acts of extortion and murder in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

Guerrilla suspects were killed and detained in security operations from 18-24 March at the Mosul, 390 kilometers north of Baghdad and at an al Qaeda stronghold, the military said in a statement Thursday night.

They are accused of involvement in the murder extortion network that helped fund the al Qaeda throughout Mosul.

Their targets, including oil companies and small businesses, said the statement.

They were killed is known as the emir of Al Qaeda in northern Iraq, Khalid Muhammad Hasan al-Juburi Shallub, economic security emir of Abu Ahmad al-Afri, and accused the governor of Mosul Al Qaeda Husyan Bashar Khalaf Ali al-Jaburi.

The military said the three leading suspects in the extortion of oil companies among the 12 people arrested on March 24 in a security raid.

"Without these people in the network of Al Qaeda Iraq (AQI), can be expected that the ability of AQI to perform operations and rebuilding will be difficult," they said.

Joint US-Iraqi operation was carried out to pursue them based on an arrest warrant from an Iraqi judge.