Iraqi security forces arrest bomber in Baghdad mosque

Iraqi security forces have arrested a suspected suicide bomber, after he was found sleeping in a mosque in northern Baghdad with an explosive belt around his waist.Interior Ministry sources told Arabstoday how police detained the suspect in Baghdad’s Bratha Mosque. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, have revealed how mosque guards were alerted to the man, who inspected him while he slept. Seven other people have been arrested in the Iraqi capital since Tuesday, many of them members of al-Qaeda, the Interior Ministry claimed in a statement on Thursday. Ministry spokesman Saad Ibrahim refused to name the suspects but added they were leading members of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups rocked Baghdad on Tuesday in a string of bombings marking the tenth anniversary of America’s war and occupation in the Middle Eastern state. The extremist organisation claimed the attacks were in retaliation for the deaths of leading members in recent weeks. More attacks were on the way, the group warned.