Iraq has confirmed that a man arrested by security forces in Baghdad last week is Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, a top figure connected to al-Qaeda.
The BBC on Sunday quoted Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as saying Iraqi security forces had been tracking Abu Omar al-Baghdadi "through elements close to him" for two months.
His arrest was reported last Thursday but the reports were not confirmed.
The BBC reports Baghdadi is a nom de guerre for a shadowy figure thought to lead the Islamic State in Iraq, an umbrella group of radical Sunni factions.
