United States Forces – Iraq, PAO, Baghdad , February 24, 2010 – Iraqi Police arrested three suspected terrorists today in a rural area located approximately 80 km northeast of Baghdad during a joint security operation conducted to capture a regional leader of Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM), an Iranian-backed terrorist group.

Acting on a warrant issued by an Iraqi judge, the 3rd Emergency Response Unit and U.S. advisors searched two residential buildings for the suspected leader of several JAM cells responsible for committing crimes such as kidnappings-for-ransom in order to accumulate funds needed to acquire weapons and supplies for use in attacks against security forces operating in the area.

After conducting preliminary questioning and assessing the evidence at the scene, Iraqi Police arrested three suspected criminal associates of the warranted individual.

In accordance with the Security Agreement and in coordination with the Iraqi government, U.S. and Iraqi forces conduct joint operations to apprehend terrorists and bring them to justice under the Iraqi judicial system.