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Iraq''s "Lion''s Leap" operation results in nabbing Qaeda chief

BAGHDAD, April 22 (KUNA) -- Government personnel have arrested a leader of the outlawed Al-Qaeda organization, charged with assassination of the MP, Hareth Al-Obeidi, a spokesman of the Baghdad operations command said on Thursday.
Major General Qassem Atta said at a news conference that the security forces arrested Munaf Abdel Rahim Al-Rawi, code-named Abu Haidar, in a raid in the district of Hittin in the capital.
The arrestee is charged with engineering assassination of Al-Obeidi, a member of the Concord Front, in June last year.
Al-Rawi is also accused of planning the futile bid to assassinate the Minister of Planning, Ali Baban, and several sabotage operations.
The notorious insurgent was nabbed as part of the ongoing operation, the "Lion's Leap," launched on March 11. The raid had also resulted in killing two top leaders of Al-Qaeda. (end) ah.rk KUNA 221548 Apr 10NNNN