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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Top Iraqi official held in raid | Top Iraqi official held in raid |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| US and Iraqi forces in Baghdad have arrested the deputy health minister during a raid at his offices. | US and Iraqi forces in Baghdad have arrested the deputy health minister during a raid at his offices. |
| The minister, Hakem al-Zamili, is a key member of the political group led by radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. | The minister, Hakem al-Zamili, is a key member of the political group led by radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. |
| He is accused of aiding Shia militiamen and using ambulances to move weapons, a ministry source told the BBC. | He is accused of aiding Shia militiamen and using ambulances to move weapons, a ministry source told the BBC. |
| US and Iraqi troops have been trying to curb sectarian attacks in Iraq. The latest raid came as a car bomb killed at least 15 people south of Baghdad. | US and Iraqi troops have been trying to curb sectarian attacks in Iraq. The latest raid came as a car bomb killed at least 15 people south of Baghdad. |
| A parked car bomb struck a market in the predominantly Shia town of al-Aziziya, also wounding dozens of people. | A parked car bomb struck a market in the predominantly Shia town of al-Aziziya, also wounding dozens of people. |
| The raid on the health ministry took place on Thursday morning. | The raid on the health ministry took place on Thursday morning. |
| New pressure on Mehdi Army | New pressure on Mehdi Army |
| Iraqi officials say US and Iraqi troops broke down doors in the ministry's offices in central Baghdad in their search for Mr Zamili. | Iraqi officials say US and Iraqi troops broke down doors in the ministry's offices in central Baghdad in their search for Mr Zamili. |
| The minister and some of his guards were arrested. | The minister and some of his guards were arrested. |
| Mr Sadr's group accused the US of provocation and urged the government to take immediate action to free the official. | |
| "They are trying to drag the Sadrist movement to a confrontation. How else would arresting a deputy health minister without an arrest warrant be read," Abdel Mahdi al-Matiri, an official in Mr Sadr's movement, told Reuters news agency. | |
| Delay | |
| US and Iraqi forces have announced a major offensive in the Baghdad area, aimed at ending spiralling violence by Sunni and Shia militants. | US and Iraqi forces have announced a major offensive in the Baghdad area, aimed at ending spiralling violence by Sunni and Shia militants. |
| The BBC's Jane Peel in Baghdad says that in the past some members of Iraq's governing Iraqi coalition have provided militias with protection. | The BBC's Jane Peel in Baghdad says that in the past some members of Iraq's governing Iraqi coalition have provided militias with protection. |
| Last month the US military said operations had led to 16 senior members of Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army militia being detained and one commander being killed. | Last month the US military said operations had led to 16 senior members of Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army militia being detained and one commander being killed. |
| On Wednesday Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki urged his military commanders to speed up preparations for the new security measures in Baghdad. | |
| He said a delay in implementing the US-backed plan had started to give a negative message. |