US Military Says Senior al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Killed

By VOA News
03 May 2007


The U.S. military says its troops have killed a senior member of "al-Qaida in Iraq" who was involved in the kidnappings of Americans.

A U.S. military spokesman, Major General William Caldwell, said Thursday that the insurgent group's minister of information, Muharib Abdul Latif al-Jubouri, was killed Tuesday north of Baghdad.

General Caldwell said Jubouri's body was identified through DNA testing and was turned over to members of his tribe. But he said Iraqi authorities then seized the body at a checkpoint.

The general added that U.S. forces have no information to support Iraqi reports of the killings of the head of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, and the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.


General Caldwell also said Syria appears to be doing more to stop the flow of foreign fighters across its border into Iraq. He said fewer militants are crossing that border.

Earlier, the American embassy said a rocket attack on Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone killed four contractors working for the U.S. government. The dead were one Philippine national, two Indians and a Nepalese national.

An embassy statement issued Thursday said the attack took place Wednesday and that it was making the announcement "with a profound sense of sadness and regret."

Baghdad's Green Zone houses many Iraqi government ministries, parliament and the U.S. and several other foreign missions.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.