On Wednesday, U.S. and Iraqi troops captured what officials termed a
major Iranian operative in Iraq. The unidentified operative, arrested in
Karbala, was identified as a Quds Force officer who helped establish a new
Shi'ite militia in Baghdad and southern Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The detained individual is suspected of coordinating with high-level
IRGC-QF officers for the transportation of multiple Iraqis to Iran for
terrorist training at IRGC-QF training camps," a U.S. military statement
said. "He is also a known logistics facilitator providing lethal aid to
terrorists operating in central Baghdad."
Officials said the U.S. military has intensified efforts to capture IRGC
officers in Iraq. They said IRGC has sent senior officers into Baghdad,
Basra and Karbala to oversee the so-called Special Groups, which has been
conducting bombings and other strikes against the U.S.-led coalition.
"It is likely that the affiliate is closely linked to individuals at the
highest levels of the IRGC-QF," the military statement said of the latest
arrest. "Coalition forces are still assessing his possible connection to
the Special Groups."
Karbala has been under the responsibility of Multinational
Force-Central, headed by U.S. Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. In August, Lynch said at
least 50 IRGC officers were training insurgents in the use of mortars and
rockets in his area of responsibility.
Officials said IRGC has brought weapons, explosively-formed penetrators,
communications equipment and computers to oversee the insurgency network in
Iraq. They said the U.S. military has captured documents and photographs
that could identify other senior IRGC envoys in Iraq. Hundreds of Iranian
operatives were said to be operating in Iraq.
"As Iran continues its proxy war against the people of Iraq, coalition
forces will continue to build on recent operations to disrupt the flow of
illicit, lethal materials from Iran into Iraq," U.S. military spokesman Lt.
Col. Christopher Garver said. "The capture of individuals affiliated with
the IRGC-Quds Force is an integral part of dismantling terror networks that
seek to kill innocent Iraqis and security forces."
So far, the U.S. military has captured more than a dozen IRGC agents.
The arrests began in January 2007, when five suspected Quds Force officers
were captured. The officers remain in U.S. detention despite Iranian demands
for their release.