Iraq Police Arrest 270 Militants in Raids
Thu Jul 29, 3:35 PM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi police have arrested 270 militants, mostly from neighboring countries, in recent raids, the interim interior minister said in remarks published Thursday.
Some of the militants were Syrian and Iranian, Falah Hassan al-Naqib told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat daily.
"I can confirm that 90 percent of those who carried out suicide operations are not Iraqis," al-Naqib said. "I believe that Iraqis' noncompliance with terrorists has made them a target."
The Iraqi government has previously announced the capture of foreign fighters here and urged neighboring countries to do more to help prevent infiltration of militants who cross into the war-ravaged country to fight U.S.-led coalition forces.
U.S. officials had long blamed foreign fighters of playing a role in Iraq's 15-month-old insurgency, but recently the military has said the fighters are mainly loyalists of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).
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