Seven suspected al-Qaeda members were arrested in an attack carried out by a joint army-police force near Lake al-Tharthar, Iraqi police in Salah al-Din province said Monday (March 5th).

Salah al-Din police spokesperson Hasan al-Majmaie told Al-Shorfa that when Iraqi forces found the gunmen, they were "preparing for a terrorist attack". The gunmen had three car bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in their possession at a house used to store fishing materials, he said.

The detainees include "a prominent leader of al-Qaeda who had been likely to assume an important post in the organization in Salah al-Din," al-Majmaie said.