Iraq announces arrest of Sadr City bombers

By Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD (AA) - The Iraqi army on Sunday announced the arrest of two terrorist cells that allegedly planned a deadly bombing that killed 30 people in al-Sadr City in Baghdad.

A military statement said the two cells were arrested in the northern Kirkuk province and the western Anbar province.

“The two cells were responsible for carrying out the bombing in al-Sadr City and were planning other terrorist attacks in Baghdad and other provinces,” the statement added.

The statement, however, did not provide details about how many members of the alleged cells were arrested or which group they belonged to.

On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced the arrest of a cell for planning and carrying out Monday’s bombing in al-Sadr City, for which the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group has claimed responsibility.

Daesh/ISIS terrorists have ramped up attacks in Iraq in recent months, particularly in the provinces of Kirkuk, Salahuddin, and Diyala.

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories captured by terrorists since the summer of 2014, estimated to be about a third of the country’s total area.

The terror group, however, still has sleeper cells in Iraq and continues to launch sporadic attacks on civilians, security forces, infrastructure, and other targets.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara