The Saturday incident occurred when Iraqi security forces were met with gunfire as they tried to take into custody Parliament Member Ahmed al-Awlani, who was wanted for alleged terrorism-related offenses.

Awlani's guards opened fire at officers moving in to arrest him, injuring at least 10 Iraqi government forces.

Nearly 20 people were reportedly wounded in the ensuring armed clashes, according to authorities.

"Security forces attacked the residence of MP Ahmed al-Alwani in central Ramadi to arrest him this morning, sparking a battle with his guards with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades," an Iraqi police major was cited as saying in an AFP report.

"Five of Alwani's guards and his brother were killed and eight others wounded, while 10 security forces members were also wounded," the police official further added.

The development comes as Alwani has been linked to al-Qaeda terrorist elements that have widely claimed responsibility for waves of bloody bombings targeting not only Iraqi government institutions but also civilian and residential centers in Shia-populated neighborhood.

The brutal terror campaign has widely been recognized within Iraq and the region as a deliberate measure to incite sectarian violence in the oil-rich Arab country.

More than 8,000 people have been killed since January 2012 as the result of the al-Qaeda-linked terror bombings across Iraq.

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