Basra police conducted a large-scale raid and search operation in several areas in the province, leading to the arrest of 23 men suspected of terrorism and criminal acts, police said Friday (June 10th).

"Police forces in Basra have carried out an intensive campaign spanning many areas in the province to track down wanted men and criminal gangs," the police command said in a statement.

"Security efforts have led to the arrest of 22 men accused of various criminal offences, in addition to one man who was wanted under Article 4 of the anti-terrorism law," it said.

The terror suspect, who was captured in the Izzeddine Salim town in al-Madina district, was impersonating an officer with a colonel's rank and is being investigated in the Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Directorate," the statement said.

The other suspects include a person accused of a murder offence who was caught in the Shatt al-Arab district and two other murder suspects who were apprehended in the area of al-Bariha, the statement added.

A search campaign in al-Haritha led to seizing a stock of weapons, including 10 Kalashnikov rifles, a Simonov rifle, an RPK gun and a handgun, it said.