Al-Qaeda in Iraq second-in-command reported killed during US raid
From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
- 22 November 2009: Iraqi lawmakers delay vote on electoral law
- 17 November 2009: Iraq threatened with expulsion from world football by FIFA
- 9 November 2009: Two US pilots killed in Iraq after helicopter crash
- 8 November 2009: Iraqi parliament approves delayed election law
- 2 November 2009: Suspected Iraqi bomber murders investigator
United States military forces reported that the alleged second-in-command of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), Abu Qaswarah also known as Abu Sara, had killed himself after a raid on a building in Mosul, Iraq.
He had used an explosives vest to kill himself after moving upstairs and into a room occupied by four fighters, three women, and three children. They were all killed in the firefight and the resulting explosion of the incident, which a military spokesman called a "crazy scene".
US officials had reported the deaths earlier but had not confirmed Qaswarah's identity.
Qaswarah, a Moroccan native and Swedish citizen, was a 'charismatic' leader who had been a major rallying force and a 'key figure' in al-Qaeda. After becoming an al-Qaeda chief of northern Iraq last year, he began using his control of Northern Iraq to smuggle foreigners for use in suicide bombings and to recruit more forces.
A military statement reported that Qaswarah's death would "degrade AQI operations" and leave the group "without a leader to oversee and coordinate its operations in the region". Brigadier General David Perkins agreed, saying the death of Qaswarah "allows the Iraqi security forces with the support of the coalition to go in and continue to tear apart that network".
Sources
- Robert H. Reid "US military: No. 2 al-Qaida in Iraq leader killed". Associated Press, October 15, 2008
- Ned Parker and Saif Hameed "No. 2 Al Qaeda in Iraq commander is dead, U.S. reports". Los Angeles Times, October 15, 2008
 Share this: |
 |
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. |
