Iraq publishes most wanted list, targets Islamic State leaders

This is the second time the Iraqi government published a most wanted list this week – the first list was made up of Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Ba'ath Party members.

"They are more dangerous than those who appeared on the first list published Sunday and they are wanted internationally whereas the others are wanted only by the Iraqi courts," a security official said.

In addition to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, his deputy, Abu Alla al-Afari, and seven other Iraqis are on the latest list. There are also two Saudis, a Jordanian, a Yemeni and a Qatari.

Sunday's list contained the names of 60 wanted suspects, with all but one of them Iraqi – including Saddam Hussein's daughter, Raghad.

The earlier list also included 28 suspected Islamic State fighters, 12 from al-Qaeda and 20 Ba'athists.

Both the Iraqi government and Kurdish groups have been heavily fighting IS since militants drove Iraqi forces out of Mosul in early 2014.

This week, Iraqi Kurdish authorities announced they had in recent years detained 4,000 suspected Islamic State members.