Zarqawi wounded, says al-Qaeda website

The web site of Zarqawi, who has a 25-million-dollar US bounty on his head and is reputed to be behind some of the deadliest insurgent attacks in Iraq and the grisly execution of hostages, indicated life-threatening wounds to the Jordanian-born militant.

"Islamic nation, brothers in unity, we pray God that our sheikh, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, recovers from the wounds he has sustained," said a statement issued in the name of his militant organization on the Internet Tuesday.

"The injuries of our leader are an honour for us and a motivation to tighten the net on the enemies of God and to step up attacks," said the Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Land of Two Rivers in a statement whose authenticity could not be verified.

US officials reacted cautiously to the claim and said they could not immediately verify the authenticity of a statement posted on a militant web site.

In Jordan, a sister of Zarqawi told AFP: "I haven't heard anything. I know nothing."

His relatives who live in Zarqa, north of Amman, have repeatedly said they have no contacts with him.

Meanwhile supporters of Zarqawi filled Islamist bulletin boards on the Internet with prayers for his recovery yesterday after his group said he had been wounded.

Within hours one posting had launched a "million prayers of recovery campaign," quickly garnering over 70 responses.

"Do not be sparing in your prayers for a speedy recovery for the Sheikh and may God return him to the fray in safety," the poster said, signing off with a graphic that featured Zarqawi's face, a bloodied knife and the words "behead."

"O God, take away the pain of Abu Musab, and heal him, since their is no healing or medicine other than from You," wrote a group calling itself the Global Islamic Media Front.