Iraqi army forces arrested on Tuesday (July 31st) seven suspected al-Qaeda members south of Baghdad, the Iraqi Defence Ministry said.

Maj. Gen. Nasser al-Ghannam, commander of the army's 17th Division, told Al-Shorfa that "during a raid on the village of Albo-Aitha, army forces seized large quantities of weapons found in a large basement and arrested a gunman who confessed about the whereabouts of six others".

The seven detainees include Sheikh Nael al-Ghayabi, Hashem Abd and Naji Saadoun, who were sentenced to death in absentia for their involvement in a dual attack that killed and wounded 390 Iraqis in 2007, he said.