Sweden ? A Somali suspected of being a militia leader during the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” battle that left 18 Americans dead was arrested Monday on suspicion of war crimes while attending a conference in Sweden, police and organizers said.

A man identified as Abdi Hassan Awale, who once served as Somalia’s interior minister, was taken into custody after Somalis living in Sweden recognized him and reported him to police, said Gillian Nilsson, an organizer of the conference on development in the Horn of Africa.

Awale, also known as Abdi Qeybdiid, was a commander in warlord Farah Aidid’s militia when it fought a 19-hour battle against American troops in Mogadishu on Oct. 3, 1993. Two U.S. helicopters were shot down and hundreds of Somalis died, in addition to the American soldiers. The story was featured in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.”

Police spokesman Karl Sandberg would not confirm the suspect’s identity, but said the 57-year-old Somali man was arrested on suspicion of war crimes early Monday at a hotel in Lund and taken to Goteborg for questioning.