Pat Dollard

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Basra, Apr 16- Iraqi army forces on Wednesday arrested the tribes official at al-Sadr’s office in Basra, and found dozens of bombs inside his house, an Iraqi army commander said.

“Iraqi army forces waged a crackdown operation in al-Janena region in northern Basra in search for weapons and wanted men,” the commander, who asked to be unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).

“A number of wanted men, including Muayad al-Abdi, tribes official at al-Sadr’s office, were arrested after finding 51 bombs at his house,” he added.

Basra, Iraq’s second largest city and oil hub, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, had witnessed immense security unrest a few hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced Saulat al-Forsan (Knights Assault) to impose order in the province.
Fierce battles occurred between security forces and armed groups believed to belong to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militias.

(VOI)