BAGHDAD , Iraq ( CNN ) -- She 's been called the `` mother of the believers , '' a middle-aged woman possibly responsible for recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers in Iraq and involvement in at least 28 terrorist operations . Television picture reportedly showing Samira Ahmed Jassim during her alleged confession . Now she 's in jail , arrested on January 21 in what an Iraqi commander called `` heroic '' security force operations that unfolded without `` any losses . '' Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta , spokesman for the Baghdad command , identified the suspect as Samira Ahmed Jassim , also known as Umm-al-Moumineen , or `` the mother of the believers . '' The arrest is considered a major stride in confronting the challenge of female suicide bombers , more than 30 of whom detonated themselves last year . Atta could n't say where she was detained for intelligence reasons . That 's because the authorities are after more targets . The bombers were recruited in Baghdad and Diyala province for the Ansar al-Sunna militant group , said Atta , who added police were aware of the identities of the women , including their fake names on fake IDs , and were on the hunt for them . They said they were also trying to verify Jassim 's confessions . Atta played a DVD for reporters with excerpts of the confessions of Jassim , who is in her 40s or 50s . Wearing a black robe and veil , she said she was asked by a man named `` Shaker '' to recruit women for an Ansar al-Sunna operative named Hareth , also known as Abu Rami . She spoke about a number of the women she recruited , spending days talking to prospective operatives and persuading them to carry out attacks . Jassim said she would deliver a recruit to Shaker . Later , she returned and picked up the recruit , dropping them at locations like the Muqdadiya police station , a Sons of Iraq office and a Baghdad car park . One woman she recruited did n't even look at Jassim when she was picked up for a job . She just whispered Quranic verses en route to a bombing . Another woman -- described as psychologically challenged -- came from a financially hard-up family . In November , 18 would-be female suicide bombers turned themselves in to coalition forces in northern Iraq . The women , whose ages and names were not released by the military , gave themselves up after being persuaded by religious leaders and family members to `` cease their training in suicide operations and reconcile , '' the U.S. military said . The women were connected to al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bombing cells , but it was not clear where they had been training or operating . The statement also did not say where the women turned themselves in , though the northern city of Mosul and surrounding parts of northern Iraq are still a hotbed for insurgent activity and considered the last stronghold for al Qaeda in Iraq . Troops have launched operations targeting members of families of suspected female bombers trying to break up the rings that are recruiting the women and girls . Intelligence gathered from detainees indicates that al Qaeda in Iraq is looking for women with three main characteristics : those who are illiterate , are deeply religious or have financial struggles , most likely because they 've lost the male head of the household . Females always have played a role in the insurgency in Iraq , helping feed militants , hiding them in their homes and helping to sneak weapons around the country . They have proven to be highly effective in their operations , because of the cultural convention that women are not to be searched by men for cultural and religious reasons . The U.S. military has created a program called the Daughters of Iraq , analogous to U.S. backed Sons of Iraq , to conduct searches of women .
Jassim also known as Umm-al-Moumineen , or mother of the believers . Arrested on Jan. 21 in what an Iraqi commander called `` heroic '' security operation . Considered a major stride in confronting challenge of female suicide bombers . Troops have launched operations targeting families of suspected bombers .