Leader of al Qaeda in Iraq al Masri Still On The Loose… U.S. Denies Report of Arrest

May 8, 2008

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The U.S. military denied Friday that the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq — Abu Ayyub al-Masri — had been captured, saying instead that a man with a similar name was arrested in the northern city of Mosul.

Iraqi authorities on Thursday said Iraqi police commandos captured the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq in a raid in the northern city of Mosul.

“Neither coalition forces nor Iraqi security forces detained or killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri. This guy had a similar name,” said Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, a U.S. military spokeswoman in northern Iraq.

She added that no additional details were being immediately provided.

Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the confusion arose because the commander of Iraqi forces in northern Ninevah province was convinced that he had arrested al-Masri — also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir.