Is al Qaeda Leader al-Zarqawi Dead?

Newsflash! 3.35pm Malaysian time.

The al Qaeda leader in
Iraq' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in a U.S. air attack in Baghdad, ABC news reported on Thursday.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed in Baghdad during a bombing raid," ABC said.

According to CNN: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted terrorist in Iraq, is dead, according to an aide to Iraq's prime minister.

A Pentagon press officer could not immediately confirm the report.

Update 4.05pm

The al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in a joint attack by U.S. helicopters and Iraqi forces, ABC news reported on It said U.S. helicopters hit a house near Baquba, 40 miles
north of Baghdad, at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
"Zarqawi was apparently injured at first... The Americans found him. They handed him over to the Iraqis and he later died of his injuries," ABC said.
It said seven people were hit in the helicopter attack, including two women, but it was not clear how many were killed or wounded.