US military says senior al-Qaida-in-Iraq member killed

The US military said today it killed a mid-ranking member of al-Qaida-in-Iraq and his driver in an air strike in Ramadi.

In a brief statement, the military said Rafa al-Ithawi, also known as Abu Taha, was killed in the city 70 miles west of Baghdad yesterday by precision laser guided weapons that destroyed his vehicle.