Iraq detain 270 suspects in massive offensive in Diyala

    More than 40,000 of Iraqi security forces, including anti-Qaida paramilitary groups, have launched an ongoing offensive aimed at chasing militant groups and criminal gangs, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    Up to 270 wanted individuals for their alleged roles in the latest wave of violence that claimed the lives of dozens of Diyala residents, the source said.

    During the operation, the troops seized 37 caches of weapons and explosive charges and confiscated hundreds of assault rifles and other guns, the source added.

    Early in the morning, U.S. aircraft carried out an airstrike on a rural area near the town of Khalis, some 70 km northeast of Baghdad, the source said, without providing further details about the attack.

    The U.S. military has no immediate comment on the incident.

    The current offensive represents the second page of the first operation code-named "Glad Tidings" which began since last year, the source said.

    He said the operation was designed to achieve a tangible success represented by capturing a number of wanted people and seizing weapons and ammunition.

    Diyala, including its capital city of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, has long been the hotbed of insurgency since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.