Iraqi security forces have detained a brother of Anbar Police Chief Major General Hadi Rezeig, along with two members of the Daesh terrorist group, on charges of planning to blow up a car bomb in Karbala Province.

Fallah Rezeig was arrested as he was driving an explosives-laden car on the outskirts of the province, head of Karbala's provincial council, Nasif Jasim al-Khatabi, said on Sunday.

Daesh terrorists, who are mainly operating in the northern and western parts of Iraq, have occasionally carried out acts of terror in the central province of Karbala.

In another development, Iraq's Shia Sadr Movement announced on Saturday that Bahaa al-Araji, a deputy of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has been arrested on corruption charges and will be held in custody for three months.

The movement called on all those who have any complaints about Araji’s alleged corruption to refer to the headquarters of Iraq’s Commission of Integrity, which is tasked with preventing and investigating corruption of the Iraqi government, in the holy city of Najaf.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who assumed power in 2014, has pledged tough action against corruption.

Findings of an ad-hoc parliamentary committee have shown that corruption within the officers’ corps was one of the reasons the Iraqi military failed to counter the quick advance of Daesh in the summer of 2014.

Iraq saw a series of nationwide protests over corruption last summer. That prompted Abadi to propose a comprehensive package of reforms. However, many say his efforts have effectively failed to bring about tangible changes.