Iraq foils plot to assassinate National Security Service chief, senior officers

Iraq's National Security Service said on Friday it had foiled a plot to assassinate the agency's chief and several senior officers, arresting suspects allegedly linked to a group associated with the banned Baath Party.

In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the agency said the operation was conducted under the direct supervision of National Security Service chief Abdul Karim al-Basri following an intelligence effort involving surveillance, monitoring and infiltration.

The statement said the suspects were linked to the so-called Iraqi National Gathering for Liberation and Change, which it described as a front organization for the outlawed Baath Party.

According to the agency, investigations and interrogations showed that members of the cell had moved beyond incitement and threats to assigning tasks, identifying targets and preparing weapons for attacks.

The planned assassinations were intended to target al-Basri, the agency's spokesman, Baghdad's security director and several other officers, the statement said.

The agency said its units uncovered the plot, tracked down those involved and seized evidence related to the case before the plan reached the execution stage.

It added that further details, including confessions by the suspects and information about the planning process, would be released later.