Shafaq News/ A man believed to have been the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq was arrested yesterday in Phoenix, accused of murdering two Iraqi police officers.

The United States Department of Justice says Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 42, was arrested in the Phoenix area recently and efforts are being made to extradite him to the Republic of Iraq.

Al-Nouri is wanted to stand trial in Iraq for two charges of premeditated murder committed in 2006 in Al-Fallujah, according to a release.

According to the Government of Iraq, “Ahmed served as the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, which planned operations targeting Iraqi police.”

Ahmed and other members of the Al-Qaeda group are accused of killing a first lieutenant and also an officer from the Fallujah Police Directorate in 2006.

The Iraqi judiciary had issued an arrest warrant against Al-Nouri, according to which a request for extradition against him was sent to the United States, which led to his arrest in light of the directives of the US Department of Justice to the local authorities in Phoenix.

Judge, John Boyle had issued an arrest warrant against al-Nuri on August 29, according to which he was arrested, after the Iraqi judiciary asked the authorities in the United States to extradite him as wanted to Iraq, where the first arrest warrant was issued against him.