By Xinhua,
Tikrit, Iraq : Iraqi security forces captured a senior al-Qaida leader in Salahudin province, a provincial security source said on Monday.
On Sunday night, Iraqi security forces raided the al-Qadsiyah neighborhood in the capital city of Tikrit and detained Abdul Khaliq Awad al-Sab’awi, leader of al-Qaida military operations in the northern Nineveh province, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The Iraqi security forces carried out the operation according to intelligence reports said that Sab’awi, one of the most wanted al-Qaida leaders in Nineveh province, had fled major offensive against al-Qaida in Nineveh and moved to Salahudin, the source said.
Earlier last week, Iraqi security forces backed by U.S. launched a massive sweep to uproot al-Qaida members in Nineveh province.