Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki condemned a US raid in Baghdad’s Shiite Sadr City slum – a politically sensitive district for him – in which American troops searching for Iranian-linked militants sparked a firefight that left 26 Iraqis dead.

Iraqi officials have received reports that the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq has been killed north of Baghdad but the information has not been confirmed, the chief government spokesman said today.

The US military today said it has no indication that the al Qaida in Iraq leader was killed or wounded in a raid north of Baghdad, while an Iraqi army officer said his deputy has been jailed south of Baghdad for a week.

Iran today condemned the abduction of its diplomat in Baghdad, adding that it holds the United States responsible for his life.

A US military spokesman today said there had been no word on the fate of a US Army solider reported missing in central Baghdad, as troops continued door-to-door searches in the central Karadah district.