Al-Qaeda In Iraq Leader, al-Masri, Officially Dead
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition forces positively identified two more senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders killed in an operation May 1 west of Taji, the same operation where Muharib Abdul Latif was killed.
Coalition forces followed leads from intelligence reports on senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and conducted a raid in the Taji area Tuesday morning. During the operation, terrorists engaged ground forces with small arms fire. Coalition forces used appropriate self-defense measures and engaged the armed men, killing five terrorists.
One of the terrorists killed during the operations was later positively identified as Sabah Hilal al-Shihawi, also known as Sabah al-Alwani and Abu Nuri. Sabah Hilal al-Shihawi was reportedly the religious advisor for Muharib Abdul Latif.
Another terrorist killed during the Tuesday morning raid was Abu Ammar al-Masri. Intelligence reports indicated that he was a foreign fighter that was facilitating insurgent activity and infrastructure support for al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Both terrorists were positively identified by associates at the site, and positive photo identification was also verified on Sabah Hilal al-Shihawi.
Even though this will have no real long term effect on al-Qaeda in Iraq, it still makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Every time we kill one of these primates, the next one may be a little more reluctant to take leadership. Even if they do, lots of sleepless nights are in store for them.
