Son of Iraqi Sunni leader among 36 held in raid

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces arrested 29 people including the son of a leading Sunni Arab politician on Friday after two cars rigged with explosives were found near the politician's office, a Baghdad security spokesman said.

Seven others were arrested on Thursday evening after the explosives were discovered near the office of Adnan al-Dulaimi. Iraqi security forces detonated the bombs and no one was hurt.

Dulaimi has denied any connection with the bombs and said they were found outside his office compound, not within it.

"The total number of detainees is 36, including Mekki, the son of Adnan al-Dulaimi," Brigadier General Qassim al-Moussawi told Reuters.

"We have also found quantities of weapons and uniforms of the army and police at the home of Dr. al-Dulaimi," he said. "Dulaimi's bodyguards are suspected of having links to car bombs and killings. There are confessions against them."

Dulaimi is the head of the main Sunni Arab bloc in parliament, which pulled its members out of the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in August.

(Reporting by Alaa Shahine; editing by Peter Graff)