BAGHDAD, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi National Security Service said Friday that its forces had thwarted an assassination plot targeting its chief, Abdul Karim al-Basri, and several other high-ranking officers.
The National Security Service said in a statement that a cell linked to the so-called "Iraqi National Gathering for Liberation and Change," a front group for the banned Ba'ath Party, was behind the plot.
It said investigations revealed that the cell had moved beyond incitement and threats to assigning tasks and securing weapons for the assassination attempt.
The National Security Service units uncovered the plot, tracked down its members, and apprehended those involved, it added.
The Ba'ath Party, led by former President Saddam Hussein, was officially banned under the Iraqi constitution following his ouster during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. ■
