By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The Iraqi Interior Ministry has said that an Al-Qaeda terrorist cell, led by a Saudi national and operating in an agricultural area between Babylon and Wassit south of Baghdad, was dismantled by authorities.
“Iraqi security forces discovered and dismantled the terrorist cell, which was led by a Saudi man and included some 27 members, eight of which were killed in the raid,” the head of the National Command Center Major-General Abdel-Karim Khalaf told KUNA in an exclusive interview Monday.
He explained that some members of the Scorpion Security Group were parachuted over the Khasraniya area, south of Babylon governorate at dawn on Sunday. Other forces were also sent to the Kout governorate for the same reason. They were both able to dismantle the entire terrorist cell, he told KUNA.
Khalaf did not disclose the full name of the Saudi national but said he is known as Abu Sara Al-Saudi and that his ID was checked. “The entire operation lasted from Saturday night till dawn on Sunday,” he said and added that authorities netted some 29 terrorists including the leader of the cell.
No further details were given.