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Zarqawi 'lieutenant killed'
26/11/2005 21:28 - (SA)
Baghdad - The US military on Saturday said it was convinced Bilal Mahmud Awad Shebah, described as a close associate of extremist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been killed.
Shebah, also known as Abu Ubaydah, was reportedly killed on October 14 when US-led forces raided a number of suspected rebel hideouts in the Albu Ubayd neighbourhood north of Ramadi, in western Iraq, it said in a statement.
"Although intelligence analysts assessed Abu Ubaydah was killed during the mid-October raids, they could not determine his death with certainty at that time," when the hideouts were bombed by US forces.
Confirmation of his death was given earlier this week by "a close family member", the military said.
The US military regularly reports the death or arrest of suspected insurgent leaders linked to Zarqawi, whose al-Qaeda in Iraq network is held responsible for some of the worst carnage in the country.
Many are described as senior lieutenants.
Shebah was said to have served as a messenger and gatekeeper for Zarqawi and to have been one of his "most trusted assistants".
- AFP
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