Military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said U.S. and Iraqi troops have destroyed two or three car bomb
factories since the Baghdad security operation began in February. Car bombs
have been responsible for the killing of more than 300 Shi'ites over the
last week.
Officials said the Iraqi-U.S.
operation in the city would identify and target car bomb factories believed
located just outside Baghdad.
Caldwell also reported a drop in violence in Baghdad
Iraqi security sources said the Al Qaida commander was arrested in the
northern city of Mosul. On Monday, the sources identified the commander as
Mohammed Yunis Hayali, deputy commander of Al Qaida in Iraq. The U.S. military did not immediately confirm the capture.
Over the last
few weeks, Iraq issued reports of the capture of leading Al Qaida
operatives. In most cases, the reports were either modified or retracted.
[In Kuwait, a U.S. military contractor was killed and three others were
injured in an explosion on Monday. The U.S. military said the explosion at
Kuwait's military base Camp Arfijan was that of ordnance and deemed
accidental.]
