U.S.: One-time senior aide to Sadr, others arrested for brazen Karbala attack which killed 5 GIs; May be dissident faction tied to Iran

Above: The five soldiers who died. 1 soldier was killed in the attack. 4 others were abducted and executed miles away. Left: Qais Khazaali. Qais Khazali was known as a spokesman for Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's political movement in 2004 in Baghdad's Sadr City, but it is not clear whether he is still involved with al-Sadr's movement. Two Mehdi Army commanders told The Associated Press that Khazali had split with al-Sadr and leads 3,000 fighters of his own with financing from Iran.

Baghdad - US forces have captured a senior aide to anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr over the killing of five US soldiers in the Iraqi holy city of Kerbala in January, said the US military on Thursday.

"Over the past several days, coalition forces in Basra and Hilla captured Qais Khazaali, his brother Laith Khazaali, and several other members of the Khazaali network, an organisation directly connected to the kidnapping and murder in January of five American soldiers in Kerbala," said the military.

Qais Khazaali is a former spokesperson for Sadr and now a senior aide to the cleric.

Read the rest at News 24

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