Iraqi forces detain 'death squad' leaders

Iraqi security forces have detained the leaders of the Omar Brigade group, a wing of al-Qaida in Iraq that had claimed to have carried out many deadly attacks throughout the country, according to National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie.

Al-Rubaie identified the group’s leader as Jassim Mohammed, known as Abu Othman, his deputy Abu Aisha, who was in charge of financing the group, and Abu Ihab, who was in charge of recruitment.

The fourth was Abu Islam, who was in charge of religious affairs, al-Rubaie told a news conference.

“The Omar Brigade is one of the death squads,” al-Rubaie said, adding that the group was responsible for the deadly bombing in Baghdad’s eastern neighbourhood of Sadr City on July 1 that killed 66 people.

Al-Rubaie refused to say where they were detained for security reasons, but added that the operation was carried out by Iraqi and multinational troops.

“This is a major blow to al-Qaida itself because this is a division that was trying to drive a wedge between Shiites and Sunnis,” he said.