Zarqawi took 52 minutes to die
2006-06-12 16:38
Baghdad - Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi lived for almost an hour after the first US
bomb struck his hideout north of Baghdad last Wednesday, a US
military spokesperson said on Monday.
Major-General William Caldwell said Zarqawi died 52 minutes
after the first of two 227kg bombs hit the building
and 24 minutes after US forces arrived at the scene.
He said they administered medical help to the mortally
wounded Zarqawi.
A US medical officer, Steve Jones, told the same briefing
that Zarqawi died from blast waves caused by the bombs, adding
that he must have been in an enclosed space.
Jones said DNA testing had confirmed Zarqawi's identity.
Caldwell said the fate of the body would be discussed with
Iraq's government.
The US military has said a total of six people were killed
in the raid in the village of Hibhib north of Baghdad.
Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born Sunni Arab militant, was blamed
for some of Iraq's bloodiest attacks since US forces invaded
Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.
Iraqi leaders said Zarqawi's death was a major blow to
al-Qaeda in Iraq, but no one expects violence to end anytime soon.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq on Sunday vowed to carry out large-scale
attacks to "shake the enemy" after Zarqawi's death.
- Reuters