Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Baghdad, May 15, (VOI) - Iraqi security forces arrested (833) in the main northern city of Mosul as a new crackdown against Al-Qaeda entered its second day on Thursday, Interior ministry official said.

“About (833) suspected terrorists were detained so far since Saturday”, Brig. Gen. Abdel karim Khalaf, director of National command, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq (VOI) from Mosul.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who travelled to Mosul on Wednesday to spearhead the latest drive on al-Qaeda network, codenamed Um al-Rabiaeen (Mother of Two Springs), spent the night in the city of more than one million people, Iraqi officials said.

“52 of the arrested detainnees have been released for pleading innocent”, Khalaf said, “while investigations were underway with the rest”.

He added “the two offensives launched in Mosul were implemented by Iraqi troops”.

The US military said it was providing logistics and intelligence support for the Iraqi-led offensive.

Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa province, lies 405 km north Baghdad.