Pat Dollard

Tweet

Karbala.

Karbala, Jan 23-Police forces on Wednesday arrested a suspect believed to be the leader of the military wing for Basra’s cult al-Yamani network in Karbala, the city police chief said.

“Karbala’s security forces detained the chief of the military wing for Ahmed Bin Al-Hassan al-Yamani network, while residing in one of Karbala’s hotels after receiving intelligence tips reporting his escape to the city from Basra,” Brig. Gen. Raid Shakir, Karbala police chief, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

He added “The detainee confessed in early investigations that aim of the network’s military operations was to topple the authority in Basra and take control over the city waiting for the (messianic like figure) al-Mahdi.”

The police chief pointed out “The suspect admitted leading the military operations in Basra and supplying the network with explosives in addition to receiving funds from an Arab country without stating it explicitly”.

On Friday, fierce clashes broke out between police forces and Ansar Ahmad al-Yamani, or Supporters of Ahmed al-Yamani, in the southern provinces of Basra and Thi Qar on the eve of Ashuraa. Hundreds of casualties were reported on both sides.

Last Year: Celebration … pilgrims outside the shrine of the 12th and last Shiite Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, in Karbala. These guys are truly whacked out…

Ashuraa, which coincided with January19, 2008, is an occasion marking the death of Imam al-Hussein, the prophet Muhammad’s grandson and the third holiest figure for Shiite Muslims, in the battle of Taf in Karbala in the Hijri year 61 (680 in the Gregorian calendar).

Ansar Ahmad al-Yamani is a strict religious organization whose members, active in some southern provinces such as Basra, Thi Qar and Missan, believe that Yamani is one of the ambassadors of Imam al-Mahdi, the 12th Messiah-like holiest figure for Shiite Muslims.

(VOI)