A prominent al-Qaeda leader was arrested in an ambush set up by Iraqi security forces in Kirkuk, Iraqi police said Friday (June 8th).

"A joint force from the Defence Ministry's intelligence and the police intercepted Jamal Naji, a prominent al-Qaeda leader, when he entered Kirkuk [from outside the country] on his way to the Hamrin Mountains area," Kirkuk police spokesperson Col. Salam al-Jaf told Al-Shorfa.

Al-Jaf said Naji "is wanted by the Iraqi judiciary on several terrorism charges. In 2009, he fled Iraq but we obtained information about his return and intercepted him".

The suspect had a list of names of 30 senior Iraqi army and police officers in his possession, al-Jaf said.