Iraqi army forces have detained a man linked to the bombing of a bridge west of Baghdad and a city council member suspected in kidnappings, murders and extortion in Diyala province, U.S. military officials said Sunday.

A helicopter assault raid on Friday detained the man tied to the truck-bomb attack of a bridge over the Danat Nazim al Majarrah Canal, a main supply route in the Habbaniyah area, on May 27.

The man, a suspected leader of an al-Qaida cell in the Qaryat al Majarrah region, also is allegedly responsible for helping foreign fighters and planning bombings in Ramadi and other areas, according to a news release issued by Multi-National Corps—Iraq.

The Iraqi forces were advised by coalition forces in the raid.

Also Friday, soldiers with the 5th Division of the Iraqi army detained a city council member and former mayor in a home in Sadiyah, near Diyala province.

The detainee is linked to al-Qaida in Iraq and the New Baath Party and is thought to be responsible for crimes designed to exert pressure and influence on local sheiks, according to U.S. military officials.

He also was allegedly involved in a car bomb attack in the Zargoush village in Sadiyah that killed 19 civilians, according to a press release by MNC-I.

The Iraqi troops were advised by U.S. Special Operations Forces.

And on Friday three suspected members of a rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi military group were detained during raids on two houses in Sadr City in Baghdad, officials said.

Two of the detainees are brothers who have allegedly conducted attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces. The third, a woman, is suspected of holding splinter-group meetings at her house, according to an MNC-I news release.

The three are thought to be responsible for kidnapping and killing Iraqi citizens and playing a role in attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

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