Leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq arrested

Iraqi police commandos captured the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq in a raid in the northern city of Mosul, Iraqi officials said Thursday, in what could mark a significant blow to the Sunni insurgency in its last urban stronghold.
However, the US military on Friday said there were "no operational reports" to confirm the capture of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq as stated by Iraqi officials, adding the capture of another insurgent might have caused confusion.
Iraqi Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the arrest of Abu Ayyub al-Masri also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir was reported by the Iraqi commander in Mosul, where insurgents have sought to establish a foothold after being widely uprooted from Baghdad and surrounding areas last year.