SENIOR AL-QAIDA LEADER CAPTURED IN MOSUL

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
BAGHDAD, Iraq
PRESS RELEASE A061220a

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured a senior al-Qaida leader and five suspected terrorists during a raid in Mosul Dec. 14.

The terrorist leader was captured when Coalition Forces raided a known terrorist meeting place. The terrorist leader was attempting to flee from the location when Coalition Forces chased him across a street and detained him.

As the Military Emir of Mosul in 2005, he was personally responsible for hundreds of civilian deaths, to include women and children. He housed foreign fighters to be used in suicide bombing attacks against the Coalition and the Iraqi people.

After leaving Mosul in late 2005, he became the Military Emir of Karkh, Baghdad. During that time, he coordinated vehicle borne improvised explosives device attacks and kidnap for ransom operations in Baghdad. He also reportedly organized an attempted shoot down of a Coalition Forces helicopter in an Ad'hamiyah neighborhood in May 2006.

After a few months he fled Baghdad due to Coalition Forces closing in on him. Just prior to his capture, he was attempting to organize what is left of the al-Qaida in Iraq network in Mosul after numerous terrorists were captured by Coalition Forces.

The capture of this terrorist responsible for anti-Iraqi and anti-Coalition activity will disrupt al-Qaida in Iraq operations, slow the facilitation of foreign fighters and bring Coalition Forces closer to capturing Abu Ayyub al- Masri.

Coalition and Iraqi forces continue to conduct operations around the clock and will persevere in their mission to deny al-Qaida’s ability to operate in Iraq.