February 15, 2007

Breaking : al-Masri Injured in Clash? (UPDATE: False alarm)

Via AP:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was wounded and an aide was killed in a clash Thursday with Iraqi forces north of Baghdad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The clash occurred near Balad, a major U.S. base about 50 miles north of the capital, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said.

Khalaf said al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri was wounded and his aide, identified as Abu Abdullah al-Majemaai, was killed.

Khalaf declined to say how Iraqi forces knew al-Masri had been injured, and there was no report on the incident from U.S. authorities.

Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Hussein Ali Kamal said he had no information about such a clash or that al-Masri had been involved.

UPDATE by Rusty: Bill Roggio told me a few days ago that he was pretty sure that Task Foce 145 was on to al-Masri's location. Looks like he was right. More from Bill Roggio on the hunt for the new al Qaeda in Iraq leader here. Most importantly, he says, is that al-Masri is much more of an effective leader than Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ever was, so his death would be a far greater blow.

You'll remember that last week a story we ran created quite a buzz when we reported that the Coalition had specifically targetted al Qaeda in Iraq cells and that they were hot on the trail of al Masri.

UPDATE II: Allahpundit all over this, too and points to a warning to longtime blog-friend and terror expert Andrew Cochran: wait for the U.S. to confirm.

But if a confirmation comes, it probably will be that al Masri is dead.

Might be time to break out the cowbell.............

Update: Or not? Remember, before Zarqawi was actually killed, he was reportedly killed at least a half dozen times.

UPDATE: Nope, not al Masri. The bosses at Pajamas Media:

A crestfallen intelligence official told Pajamas Media: The prisoner’s DNA did not match that of al Masri’s.

For now the al Qaeda leader remains at large. Arab radio reports that suggest that al Masri was wounded in the firefight are probably just a face saving attempt by the Interior Ministry to cover their latest media blunder.