Iraqi police announced Saturday (January 7th) that they discovered a workshop for making car bombs and arrested three al-Qaeda members following a security operation west of the capital.

According to Baghdad police spokesperson Lt. Col. Mushtaq Talib, security personnel raided a commercial building in central Abu Ghraib after obtaining intelligence on the suspects. Talib told Al-Shorfa that they found three car bombs inside, which police disarmed immediately.

Meanwhile, in Dhi Qar, 30 individuals wanted by the judiciary in connection with various terrorist and criminal charges were also arrested.

Nasiriya police chief Lt. Col. Abbas Jassim al-Abbadi said in a press conference on Saturday that security forces captured the wanted individuals during a surprise raid. The suspects were wanted in connection with terrorism charges, and included militia members, drug dealers, robbery gang members, and murder suspects.

In Babil, police said that three suspected members of al-Qaeda were arrested in an ambush set up by joint Iraqi forces north of Hilla.