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Baghdad: An Iraqi arms dealer and "assassination squad" leader responsible for trafficking Shiite extremists in and out of neighbouring Iran for training was captured by US soldiers in Baghdad, the military said on Sunday.
US soldiers, acting on intelligence from other Shiite militiamen already in custody, captured the Basra-based "special groups" leader late Saturday at a hideout in eastern Baghdad, according to a military statement.
The statement said, "The wanted man is alleged to be a commander of an assassination squad in Basra, an arms dealer with connections to Iran and a document counterfeiter."
The arrest reinforced long-standing US allegations that Iran arms, trains and funds Shiite Muslim militiamen inside Iraq, charges Tehran denies. The apprehension also coincided with a two-day visit to Iran by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, his second such trip in a year.
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