The Iraqi army on Saturday morning (September 22nd) arrested 12 wanted al-Qaeda members in a search and raid operation carried out in southern Baghdad, the Iraqi Defence Ministry said.

"A special unit from the army's infantry forces" found the suspects at different houses in al-Mahmoudiyah and al-Latifiyah, southern Baghdad, ministry spokesperson Col. Dhia al-Wakeel told Al-Shorfa.

He said the unit also found two explosives caches containing 37 improvised explosive devices and sticky bombs.

The detainees are now under investigation at a security detention facility and the explosives were taken to a secure place pending their disposal, al-Wakeel said.