Guardian : British troops kill al Qaida chief

British troops kill al Qaida chief

Press Association | September 25, 2006

British soldiers have killed a senior al Qaida figure during a major raid in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said.

Some 250 troops stormed the house where Omar Farouq was staying in Basra on Sunday night.

Farouq - who has been linked to a series of kidnappings and murders and was believed to be a top lieutenant of Osama bin Laden - was shot when he resisted arrest, according to the MoD.

An MoD spokesman said: "A deliberate operation was carried out against a known terrorist.

"When he opened fire on the troops he was killed in a return of fire."

The soldiers involved were two companies from 1 Battalion the Princess of Wales's regiment, according to the spokesman.

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