Raid kills six insurgents

Coalition forces killed six insurgents in raids targeting the terror network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi near the Syrian border today, the US military said.

Weapons caches were found during the operations in Qaim city, and 54 insurgents were detained, the military said in a statement.

It also said that Ghassan Muhammad Amin Husayn al-Rawi, a militant in al-Zarqawi’s group who was captured on April 26, had provided intelligence that had helped lead to the raids.

Al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian and the most wanted man in Iraq, is the leader of the terrorist group al-Qaida in Iraq and has declared his allegiance to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network.

Al-Zarqawi is tied to many bombings and kidnappings – including the murder of Briton Ken Bigley – since the US-led invasion removed Saddam Hussein from power more than two years ago.

The US military has said al-Rawi had helped al-Qaida in Iraq arrange meetings and move foreign insurgents into Iraq.

US forces believe they just missed capturing al-Zarqawi himself during a February 20 raid in Iraq that netted two of his associates and a computer believed to belong to him.

The US military said on Friday that coalition forces had captured or killed hundreds of al-Zarqawi followers in recent months, including 20 top lieutenants and other senior members.