Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the two most senior leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq were killed in a joint Iraqi-U.S. operation.
A U.S. soldier was killed when a U.S. helicopter crashed during the Sunday morning military strike in al-Tharthar, about 10 kilometers south of Tikrit, Iraq.
Al-Masri’s assistant and al-Baghdadi’s son, who also were involved in terrorist activities, were also killed.
NIGHT TIME ROCKET ATTACK: U.S. and Iraqi forces killed the two top al-Qaida figures in the country in a joint operation the U.S. called a significant blow to the insurgency and a sign Iraqi security forces are strengthening. AP’s Sagar Meghani reports.