European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 2, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                May 2007 stars and stripes Mideast edition pages reports Ai Aida in Iraq chief May be dead terrorist group issues statement saying Almasri is alive and Well by Robert Reid the associated press Baghdad Iraq government received reports that the Leader of al Aida in Iraq had been killed but officials said tuesday the information had not been and an insurgent coalition insisted he was similar reports in the past proved Ina Ccu ambassador Ryan Crocker told re porters that american authorities in Baghdad were seeking More an umbrella organization of iraqi insurgent groups denied the al Aida Leader had been saying he was alive and according to an internet the islamic state of Iraq reassures the ummah nation that Sheik Abu Hamza god protect is alive and he is still fighting the enemy of the umbrella group said on a web site commonly used by in a series of reports tuesday said Abu Hamza a Muhajer whom and iraqi forces identify by another Abu Ayyub Almasri had been either by rivals in al Aida or sunni tribesmen who have turned against a Pentagon Gary said he was aware of the reports from Iraq but had no in recent divisions among sunni in surgent groups have in part be cause of a Laidas attempt to dominate the impose a harsh Brand of islam on Ordinary people and use foreign officials More than 200 sunni Arab sheiks in Anbar province have decided to form a political party to oppose clashes have erupted in three sunni provinces Between al Aida and other insurgent notably the nation Alist 1920 revolution officers iraqi officials released conflicting accounts of when and where Almasri was purportedly and who was supposed to have killed it was also unclear whether iraqi authorities had the chief government spokesman Ali Aldabbagh Aldabbagh told Ala Rabiya television that the report of Almasri death was based on intelligence adding that Dan tests should be done and we have to bring someone to identify the but he refused to say unequivocally whether iraqi Security forces had the citing Security the Interior ministry Abdulkarim told state television that authorities did not have absolute confirmation Almasri was dead but said reports indicated he killed by fellow al Aida members in an ambush at the Safi Bridge North of sources of the Interior ministry witnessed the killing of this Khalaf Abu Ayyub Almasri iraqi gunmen kill 14 travellers along Highway by Sinan Salaheddin the associated press Baghdad gunmen ambushed travellers on a Highway leading from Baghdad to shiite areas to the South on killing 14 while mortar rounds slammed into an area near the iraqi prime ministers office in the Green zone in the a government official the attacks began at when gunmen took aim at a killing 11 shiites and wounding As it passed near 30 Miles South of Baghdad in a predominantly sunni area dubbed the Triangle of death because of frequent insurgent about 45 minutes a group of gunmen stand ing on the Highway opened fire at civilian killing three people and wounding five near Latif Yah and about six Miles North of the site of the initial the attacks occurred on the main Highway linking the capital to predominantly shiite Southern province Farmers often use the Road to transport goods and shiite pilgrims use it for treks to the holy cities of Najaf and but they have to go through the dangerous areas closer to no casualties were reported in the mortar attack the second strike against the sprawling Complex in about 12 hours but it underscored heightened con Cerns about Security in an area that is Home to the and British embassies and thousands of Ameri can As Well As the iraqi government head Quad the first round of explosions in the Green zone occurred about at 10 monday and another round struck at about military spokesman Christopher Garver said no military personnel were injured in Mon Days he said the explosions on tuesday were still under although indications appear it was indirect the term used by the Mili tary for rocket or mortar an iraqi government speaking on Condi Tion of anonymity because of the sensitivity in discuss ing Security said six mortar rounds fell around the offices of prime minister Nouri Almalik on tues Day and the closest came with 100 Yards of the com the explosions late monday also were directed toward that part of the Green also known As the International the official insurgents and militia fighters routinely fire Rock ets and mortars into the Green which houses the and British the iraqi government Headquarters and thousands of american troops on the West Bank of the Tigris the attacks Seldom cause casualties or damage be cause they Are poorly aimed and the the 4squaremile zone contains much open Hadi a Follower of Radical cleric Muntada a Sadr Waves with a sword during a rally monday in the Kaz Miyah District of condemning a raid that took place the previous video shows off insurgent weapon Egypt an Alsaid linked militant group has posted a new video said to show the first use of an insurgent made device that specifically tar gets minesweepers in the dated 25 and a minute and a half shows what is purported to be a army vehicle driving Down a Road in a very Leafy As the vehicle comes into it suddenly explodes into a huge plume of the last sequence shows the charred Hulk of the destroyed lying overturned As the smoke clears fewer iraqi civilians killed in april Baghdad the number of iraqi civilians killed in april dropped by some 20 percent to while the number of detainees decreased by about according to figures compiled tuesday from government the death toll for iraqi Rose sharply in the second full month of a crackdown in to compared with 44 in the number of wounded soldiers More than doubled to the iraqi army toll was still Well below the 104 american troops who died last from the associated press deaths in Iraq the associated press As of at least members of the military have died since the beginning of the Iraq War in March according to an associated press the figure includes seven military at least died As a result of hostile according to the military the a count is nine higher than the defense depart ments last updated Mon Day at 10 the British military has re ported 146 deaths 33 18 20 bul 13 11 six al five four three two each and one death the latest deaths reported by the military three soldiers were killed sunday by a Roadside bomb in Eastern a Soldier was killed Satur Day by Small arms fire in East Ern a Marine was killed Sun Day in Anbar the latest identifications re ported by the military Marine sgt Peter Wood died Fri Day in combat in Anbar prov Ince assigned to the 8th Engi Neer support 2nd Marine logistics ii Marine expeditionary Camp army Nicholas died Friday in Fau Ujah when an explosive detonated near his unit assigned to the 5th squad 7th cavalry 1st brigade combat 3rd in Fantry fort Marine Christopher Lone died thursday in com Bat in Anbar assigned to the 2nd assault amphibian Battal 2nd Marine ii Marine expeditionary Camp army Eddie Texas died Friday in fal Lujah when an explosive detonated near his vehicle assigned to the 5th 7th cavalry regi 1st brigade combat 3rd infantry fort army David Kirk died Friday in fal Lujah when an explosive detonated near his vehicle assigned to the 5th squad 7th cavalry 1st brigade combat 3rd in Fantry fort Marine William Cal South died Friday in combat in Anbar province assigned to the 8th Engineer support Bat 2nd Marine logistics ii Marine expedition Ary Camp army Michael Hul Little died saturday in Iskandar Yah when an explosive detonated near his unit assigned to the 1st 501st airborne infantry 4th Bri Gade combat 25th infantry fort Marine 1st Travis died sunday in combat in Anbar province assigned to the 1st reconnaissance Battal 1st Marine i Marine expeditionary Camp