Website claims wounded al-Zarqawi has fled from Iraq

AN Islamic website statement claimed yesterday that Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, chief of al-Qaida in Iraq, has fled to an unidentified “neighbouring country” with two Arab doctors treating him for gunshot wounds to his lung.

There was no way to verify the authenticity of the claim. The site used to carry al-Qaida postings, but has fallen out of use recently. The posting later appeared on another militant site, where it quickly came under attack from other posters as untrue and unauthorised by al-Qaida.

The statement from somebody identified only as al-Khalidi the same name as a regular poster for the site in the past said the information was based on accounts of "brothers close to the holy warriors in Iraq and who are in contact with them". He did not elaborate.