BAGHDAD, Iraq: Iraqi government has said it has captured a Tunisian Al-Qaeda terrorist behind the February bombing of the revered Askariyain shrine.

Speaking at a news conference on 28 June in Baghdad, Iraqi national security advisor Muwaffaq Ar-Rubaie said, "we managed to capture Abu Qudama At-Tunisi, a Tunisian, recently and he has taken an active part in blowing up the Golden dome shrine."

Rubaie said the shrine attack in Samarra, north of Baghdad, was intended "to drive a wedge between Shiites and the Sunnis and to create a sectarian war."

Rubaie said the mastermind of the Samarra attack, Iraqi Haitham al-Badri, was linked to the previous regime before joining Ansar as-Sunna and ultimately Al-Qaeda. He said Badri remains at large.

2 Iraqis, four Saudis and 1 Tunisian were involved in the holy Shrine bombing, he told.

Abu Qudama, whose real name is Yusri Naji al-Traiki, was captured "a few days ago" when he and about 15 foreign fighters tried to attack an Iraqi army checkpoint in Dhuluiyah, north of the capital, Rubaie said.