Zarqawi aide killed in Falluja raid: US
The US military said it killed an ally of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an overnight air raid on Falluja yesterday, as the Iraqi government tried to find out how Zarqawi's group managed to kill 49 unarmed army recruits.
A statement said the "precision strike" in northwest Falluja at 3 a.m. (2000 EDT) had hit a safe house used by the Jordanian militant's al-Qaeda-linked network, adding that a known associate of Zarqawi was present at the time.
Residents said the raid had destroyed one house and damaged three. Hospital staff said they had received no casualties.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Many families have fled Falluja fearing a widely expected US offensive designed to bring the city under the interim government's control before elections planned for January.
People in Falluja deny foreign militants led by Zarqawi are present in the rebel-held Sunni Muslim city west of Baghdad and say civilians are the main casualties of US raids.
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