Intelligence

Zarqawi aide killed in raid by US and Iraqi forces

'Al-Qaeda No 2 in Iraq killed' - World - Times Online

By Sam Knight and agencies

Abu Azzam (EPA)

The US military and Iraqi Government today claimed to have landed a serious blow against the insurgency when they revealed that a top aide of the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been killed.

Abu Azzam, described as head of day-to-day operations for al-Qaeda in Iraq and held responsible for more than 1,200 deaths, was shot in a high-rise apartment building by American and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad early on Sunday.

"We managed to kill the No 2 of al-Qaeda in Iraq," said Muwaffaq Rubaie, the Iraqi government's national security adviser. Mr Rubaie added that Azzam "must have killed 1,200 Baghdadis", mostly in car bombings.

A US military spokeswoman, Lieutenant Michelle Lunato, said that Azzam was tracked to "a terrorist safe house" after a tip-off from an Iraqi citizen and "close associate". Military sources have refused to confirm that CIA agents were involved in the raid.

"During the operation, which was held with the intent of capturing him, he fired and he was killed by return fire," said Lieutenant Lunato, adding that one other insurgent was wounded in the gunfight.

A US military statement released today described the career of Azzam, who was also known as Abdallah Muhammad al-Juwari, and his rise to become a senior lieutenant of al-Zarqawi, the one-legged Jordanian with a $25 million bounty on his head who leads al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Azzam "served as the Emir of Anbar province for much of 2004 and led the largest group of al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters in Fallujah during autumn 2004 until they were defeated by coalition forces during Operation Dawn," said the statement.

"In spring 2005, he assumed the position of Emir of Baghdad, where he reportedly directed and controlled all terrorist activity and operations in and around the city," the statement added. Violence in Baghdad has soared since April, when Azzam reportedly assumed control of attacks in the capital.

"We continue to decimate the leadership of the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist network and continue to disrupt their operations," said US Major General Rick Lynch, celebrating Azzam's demise. "By taking Abu Azzam off the street, another close associate of Zarqawi, we have dealt another serious blow to Zarqawis terrorist organization."

Azzam appeared as a relatively minor character on a list of 29 wanted terrorists and former Baath party officials released by the Iraqi government in February. Named as Sheikh Abdalluh Abu Azzam, he was described as the Emir of Anbar but no details where given of his role in Fallujah. A sum of $50,000 was offered for information leading to his capture.

Anthony Loyd, correspondent for The Times in Iraq, said it was hard to know how important the death of Azzam will be and what effect it will have on the insurgency:

"It is very difficult to work this one out," he said. "The Iraqi and American authorities have claimed several times in recent months to have killed or captured top lieutenants in al-Qaeda in Iraq but it hasn't seemed to have dented the ability of Zarqawi's group to mount attacks."

"In fact, senior American military officials I have spoken to have said that al-Qaeda in Iraq seems to be growing and becoming the dominant group in the insurgency. A significant number of groups have subordinated themselves to al-Qaeda because it is much more sophisticated and much more ruthless than other home-grown factions."

American forces in Iraq have been stepping attempts to capture and kill senior figures in al-Qaeda. Al-Zarqawi is believed to be hiding out in the Euphrates river valley that runs northwest from Baghdad towards the border with Syria and the US military claims to have killed members of his entourage in recent weeks.

News of Azzam's death came as nine men were killed and around 30 were wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a police station in Baqouba, about 50km (30 miles) north of Baghdad. The bomber reportedly made no attempt to disguise his explosives as he entered a crowded room where Iraqi men were applying to become police officers.

Adhid Mita’ab, an official in Baqouba General Hospital, where the casualties were rushed, told Reuters that nine Iraqis were killed. A local commander confirmed the figure.

Today's deaths, yesterday's murder of five Shia schoolteachers and a string of bombings on Sunday bring to 61 the number of people killed in the past three days in Iraq, less than a month before the referendum on Iraq’s draft constitution.

September 27, 2005 at 05:07 PM in Al Qaeda | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home