Head of al-Qaeda in Iraq 'arrested'

The leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been arrested, according to local reports.

Abu Hamza al-Muhajir was seized in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the Islamic group's last remaining urban stronghold in Iraq, according to the Arabic television station al-Arabiya said.

Iraq's Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Mohammed said the head of the local province's security operations had confirmed Muhajir is under arrest.

"Now the American forces have taken him to identify him," Askari said.

Mujahir is the successor to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a US airstrike in 2006.

An Egyptian also known as Abu Ayyab al-Masri, Mujahir was a close associate of Zarqawi and had a US bounty of $5 million (£2.5 million) on his head.

He was apparently detained after a joint operation by Iraqi government and US forces.

Iraq's Interior Ministry said last May that Mujahir had been killed, but soon afterwards al-Qaeda released an hour-long audio tape purportedly from him.

He urged militants from the Sunni Islamist group to "celebrate" the announcement that the number of US troops killed in Iraq had passed 4,000 - and called for renewed attacks.

He called on al Qaeda fighters to provide "a head of an American as a present to the trickster Bush" in a month-long campaign of violence.

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