Iraq’s military showed on Sunday what it called the confession of a mastermind of last week’s attacks on two government ministries, and it announced the arrests of police and army officers the man said had been bribed to allow a huge truck bomb through checkpoints into Baghdad.

In brief, the man identified as Wisam Ali Khazim Ibrahim calmly explained how he had organised one of the two bombings, which killed almost 100 people on Wednesday. He said he did so on the orders of a man in Syria who wanted the attacks “to shake the administration”.

Ibrahim described himself as a former police officer in Diyala Province and a member of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.

The confession, broadcast on state television channels, appeared to be part of an effort by security officials to ease public outrage and fear.

None of Ibrahim’s remarks could be confirmed independently, and what was shown left many questions about the bombings. He did not identify the bomber who drove the truck that attacked the Finance Ministry. He did not address the bombing at the Foreign Ministry.

In the video, Ibrahim described carrying out the attack that struck the Finance Ministry, the first of the two bombings. He said the bomb had been prepared in Khalis, a town in Diyala northeast of Baghdad, and driven to Baghdad after he paid $10,000 for bribes to ensure safe passage.

“We have a person who knows all the checkpoints, and he asked for $10,000,” Ibrahim, 57, said.

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