Iraq Detains Alleged Leader of Sunni Insurgent Group

  11 January 2009

Iraqi security forces say they have captured the alleged leader of a Sunni Arab militant group suspected of several bombings and assassinations.

A military spokesman Sunday said officials have linked Thayer Kadhim Abid al-Suraiwi to some Iraqi politicians and neighboring countries, but he did not elaborate.

Authorities arrested Suraiwi last month in Baghdad.  They accuse him of being the commander of Ansar al-Sunna.  They say the group was responsible for a June car bombing that killed dozens of people in Baghdad's Shi'ite neighborhood of Hurriyah.

Meanwhile, Iraqi police say unknown gunmen killed three policemen today in Mosul.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. 

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