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Iraq: US arrests 5 alleged Iran-backed extremists | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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BAGHDAD (AP) – The U.S. military says it has arrested five Iranian-backed Shiite extremists accused in recent rocket attacks on Iraqi and American forces.

The military says it captured the five suspects Saturday morning in three separate locations in a largely Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad.

A military statement says the extremists are suspected of links to the Hezbollah Brigades, a Shiite extremist group that the U.S. believes is backed by Iran.

Tehran denies U.S. allegations that it is supporting violence in Iraq.

The military says it acted on intelligence information in arresting the five. It says they were suspected of having links to recent rocket attacks on Iraqi security and U.S. forces.