Iraq arrests 13 suspected militants in Mosul

By Ahmed Qassem and Serhad Shaker

NINEVEH, Iraq (AA) – Iraqi forces have detained 13 suspected militants in a security sweep in the northern Mosul city, according to an Iraqi police officer.

Military forces and local police raided and searched more than 150 houses in al-Siddiq neighborhood in eastern Mosul, Capt. Safaa al-Juhaishi of the National Security Service told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

He said 13 people were arrested for links with the Daesh terrorist group.

According to al-Juhaishi, 34 rifles were seized during the security operation in Mosul.

Meanwhile, a child was killed and four others were injured in a bomb blast in eastern Mosul, according to Army Col. Ahmad al-Jubouri.

He said a device left over by Daesh terrorists exploded as a group of children were playing nearby.

Late last year, officials in Baghdad declared that Daesh's military presence in Iraq had been all but destroyed. It appears the notorious terrorist group, however, still maintains “sleeper cells” in several parts of the country.