Man admits beheading '100s'

2006-05-30 20:01

Bushra Juhi

Baghdad - A key terror suspect who allegedly confessed to hundreds of beheadings has been captured, Iraqi officials say.

The announcement came on a day of carnage which saw 37 people killed as bombs tore through a car dealership in southern Iraq and a market north of Baghdad.

Scores were wounded.

The government named the man as Ahmed Hussein Dabash Samir al-Batawi.

A spokesperson said the anti-terror unit which arrested him, also seized documents, cellphones and computers that contained information on other wanted terrorists and extremist groups.

It's also been announced that police killed three members of al-Qaeda in Iraq during clashes south of Baghdad last week.

They were well-known aides of the group's leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a police spokesperson said.

Separately, the US military freed 204 male detainees from Abu Ghraib and other detention centres in Iraq after the Iraqi-led combined review and release board recommended their release.

Many of the detainees - who had been held at the Abu Ghraib, Camp Bucca and Fort Suse prisons - kissed the ground and touched their foreheads to express thanks to God.

To date, the board has reviewed the cases of more than 39 000 detainees, recommending more than 19 600 individuals for release, the military said.

- AP