March 05, 2007

Iraqi Security Forces: al-Qaeda leader captured (Updated & Bumped)

This is a big one folks.....

A suspected leader of the group Islamic State in Iraq, which has ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, was detained in northern Iraq on Sunday, Iraqi security forces reported. Muharib Mohammed Abdullah, aka Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, was arrested in a joint raid by Iraqi and US soldiers in the city of Duluiya.

"This is a great success for the Iraqi security forces, comparable to the killing of Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi," the Salaheddin provincial administration in the town of Tikrit said in a statement.

Abdullah is a former legal expert from the city of Balad, north of Baghdad.

Bill Roggio has more

Still working on confirmation.

Update: The Iraqi MOI (Ministry of the Interior) now says Abdullah Latif al-Jaburi - aka Abu Abdullah the #2 man of the Islamic State in Iraq - has been captured, not al-Baghdadi as had been initially reported.

UpdateII: IraqSlogger reports:

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi "Apprehended"

Second Unconfirmed Report of Militant Leader's Capture in Two Days

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, chief of the militant group Islamic State of Iraq, has been captured, according to an unconfirmed report.

Buratha news reported Monday that "knowledgable sources" had informed the news agency of al-Baghdadi's capture in the Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, along with four others.

According to the sources, a formal announcement of al-Baghdadi's arrest will be issued in "the coming hours," Buratha reports.

Jeez, we got him, we don't got him, we got him, where's Baghdad Bob when you need him.

UPDATE III Third times a charm AP is reporting WE GOT HIM

BAGHDAD - The leader of the al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, has been captured in a raid west of Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said Friday.

U.S. officials had no confirmation of the statement by Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman of the Baghdad security operation.

Al-Moussawi said al-Baghdadi was captured Friday in a raid in Abu Ghraib on the western outskirts of Baghdad.

Looking for confirmation from MNF to break out the good Scotch.

By at 04:38 PM | |