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Iraq confirms capture of top al-Qaida leader

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-29 00:06

BAGHDAD -- The Iraqi government confirmed on Tuesday that Abu Omer al-Baghdadi, one of the most wanted al-Qaida top leaders, has been in custody by Iraqi authorities.

"The criminal terrorist Abu Omer al-Baghdadi is in the hands of the Iraqi justice," the Iraqi state-run television of Iraqia quoted a statement by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office as saying.

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The television considered Baghdadi's capture as a "victory for the Iraqi government" as well as a victory for the "victims of terrorism."

Five days ago, the Iraqi government announced that its troops has captured a suspect believe to be Abu Omer al-Baghdadi, and they were still investigating him.

Baghdadi is believed to be the head of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq, which is an al-Qaida-led umbrella organization of extremist Sunni militants groups.

Qassim Atta, spokesman of the Baghdad security plan, told reporters that Baghdadi was captured by Iraqi security forces at an intersection in eastern Baghdad and that his arrest was based on intelligence reports.

In 2007, the U.S. military said that Baghdadi could be fictitious character used by al-Qaida in Iraq network to show that an Iraqi is leading the terrorist organization not foreigners.