The Iraqi Ministry of Defence said Monday (December 17th) that the Iraqi army thwarted a large-scale al-Qaeda plot to blow up power transmission towers in eastern Iraq.

"An army force discovered 18 landmines planted under high-voltage power transmission towers that provide some 250,000 houses in Diyala with electricity," Iraqi Ministry of Defence spokesman Col. Dhia al-Wakeel told Al-Shorfa.

"This is the second attempt of this type within 72 hours", he said, adding that a similar attack with a lower threat was thwarted in Samarra, north of Baghdad.

"The army managed to dismantle the landmines and to arrest four al-Qaeda-affiliated suspects involved in the attack," he said.