Two Chechens were arrested in the Iraqi city of Nasiriya Sunday by local police. The Chechens are suspected of terrorist activity in the country and connections to al Qaeda, the Russian Information Agency Novosti reported, citing Iraqi papers. The Chechens were part of an armed group sent by Islamists for a diversion in Nasiriya, where a U.S. air base is located, the newspaper As-Sabah had reportedly said, citing an unidentified police source. Iraqi police say that there are about 20 Chechens on Iraqi territory that are taking part in armed uprisings against U.S.-led coalition forces. Earlier Italian media reported that as many as 300 mercenaries from Chechnya were fighting in Iraq. |