Kidnapped governor of Iraq province found dead
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-31 20:03

The governor of Iraq's biggest province, who was kidnapped earlier this month, has been found dead along with his militant captors after a clash with US forces, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.

Laith Kubba told a news conference the body of Anbargovernor Raja Nawaf was found tied to a gas canister in a house near the town of Rawa two days ago.

He was discovered after US forces conducted a routine sweep through a neighbourhood and met fierce resistance from insurgents in the house.

The authorities do not know how Nawaf died but it was likely that concrete fell on him after the clashes triggered explosives in the house, Kubba said.

Nawaf and four bodyguards were kidnapped on the road fromthe town of Qaim near the Syrian border to the city of Ramadi just days after he became governor of Anbar, the heartland of Iraq's insurgency.

Officials and relatives said they were kidnapped bymilitants loyal to the al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, because of a dispute with Nawaf's tribe.

Zarqawi, whose followers from across the Arab world arewaging a holy war against the Iraqi government and its American allies, have assassinated officials and mounted suicide bombings that have killed hundreds.

Zarqawi condemns people like Nawaf and other Iraqi officials because the government is backed by Washington and 140,000 US troops are in the country.

Kubba said the bodies of two Syrians, one Jordanian and an Algerian were found beside Nawaf after the fighting.

His kidnapping and death highlighted the security challengefacing Iraqi forces who are struggling to tame Anbar, home to some of the country's fiercest Muslim militants and Saddam Hussein loyalists.

A US-led offensive captured the rebel stronghold ofFalluja in Anbar in November, raising hopes that the assault would significantly weaken the insurgency.

But guerrillas have regrouped, killing about 700 people withsuicide bombings and other attacks in escalated violence since a new government was announced late last month.

Kubba said Nawaf, leader of the Abu al-Mahal tribe, hadpursued militants in Qaim, a hotbed of insurgent activity.

"He had a main role in the killing of 17 extremists inQaim," Kubba said.