![Dr. Mansour al-Nubi Mansour says his centre gives out scholarships to help Yemeni students study at Egyptian universities, and vice versa. [Faisal Darem/Al-Shorfa]](/shared/images/2013/05/22/Yemen-egyptian-councellor-90_58.jpg)
![Amendments to Egypt's income tax law come amid a slew of measures to boost the country's economy. Above, traders work at the Egyptian stock exchange building in central Cairo. [Khaled Desouki/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/22/egypt-income-tax-90_58.jpg)
![Actor Rafic Ali Ahmad (left), festival president Noura Jumblatt, singer Abir Nehmeh, maestro Loubnan Baalbaki and composer Charbel Rouhana take part in a pre-festival press conference. [Nohad Topalian/Al-Shorfa]](/shared/images/2013/05/22/Lebanon-noura-joumblatt-90_58.jpg)
![Syrian army troops inspect a house as they advance on a village near Qusayr in Homs province. Hizbullah fighters are backing regime forces in Qusayr. [Joseph Eid/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/21/syria-hezbollah-jan-90_58.jpg)
The Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Friday (September 3rd) the arrest of seven suspected leaders of al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the death of one suspect during two separate security operations in Baghdad and Ninawa.
Iraqi security officials said one of the detainees is the "minister of war" of the al-Qaeda front group Islamic State of Iraq.
Maj. Gen. Nuaman Dakhil, commander of rapid reaction forces in the Ministry of Interior, said rapid reaction forces carried out a raid and search operation Thursday (September 2nd) in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib district. The raid was carried out based on information provided by citizens in the area.
According to Dakhil, the "minister of war" Khedhr Ali Dhiab is the group's second-in-command. He succeeded the former "minister of war" who was arrested by Iraqi security forces in Baghdad last June.
Elsewhere, the Ninawa Operations Command announced the arrest of six suspects of different Arab nationalities and the death of another suspect. All were described as leaders of al-Qaeda.
The suspects were arrested in a preemptive security operation carried out by a task force of commandos from the 3rd Division of the Iraqi Army on Thursday in al-Baaj district, west of Mosul. Officials learned that Arab gunmen were in the area planning suicide attacks using car bombs.
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![A torn poster of Syrian President Bashar Assad hangs in the northern Syrian city of al-Raqa on March 5th following days of fierce fighting. [Mohammad al-Hussein/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/04/19/Syria-assad-raqaa-90_58.jpg)
![Iraqi patrols have increased along the Iraq-Syria border. [Mohammed al-Qaisi/Mawtani]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/22/iraq-border-cell-90_58.jpg)
![An Iraqi National Museum employee guides visitors inside the Assyrian Hall. [Ali al-Saadi/AFP]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/22/Iraq-national-museum-90_58.jpg)
![Iraqi artists Nibras Hashem, Suha al-Jumaily, Zeina Salem and Zikra Sarsam (from left) are holding a joint exhibition, "Intersecting Paintbrushes". [Courtesy of the Baghdad French Cultural Centre]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/21/iraq-women-painters-90_58.jpg)
![Iraqi Airways has several projects in the works to strengthen its services and status. [Stringer/AFP]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/21/iraq-plane-ticket-90_58.jpg)
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READER COMMENTS
مسلماني
2010-9-15
We all know that the terrorists in the past used to carry out many attacks against the Iraqis, and that they have killed many innocents. Those criminal terrorists used to receive financial support and weapons from abroad, in addition to the terrorist elements of the dirty terrorist organization of Al-Qaeda. They used to sneak into Iraq via the borders to carry out terrorist operations. However, the Iraqi government realized the seriousness of the situation and worked hard to provide sufficient Iraqi troops to guard the borders from those elements sneaking in, to protect the country and the people from their danger. The security forces on the borders stopped the terrorist elements from entering Iraq. The government has developed; it now has a strong intelligence agency and powerful and highly trained border guards that possess the most modern vehicles and equipment. This is the reason why the number of terrorists sneaking in, who used to kill the Iraqis, has declined significantly.
سعيد
2010-9-14
Are not the Al-Mahdi Army and the pro-government militias, under the leadership of the racist and terrorist premier Al-Maliki, responsible for killing the Sunnis in Iraq? Now, you raise these issues as if you are trying to silence us through such false accusations! The facts are crystal clear, like the sun! Regards.