Senior member of Al Qaida killed

Baghdad: An Egyptian man believed to be a senior member of Al Qaida was killed by US forces in Iraq, a statement from the US military said on Saturday.

The statement said intelligence reports indicated that Abu Abd Al Rahman Al Masri worked directly for the leader of Al Qaida in Iraq, fellow Egyptian Abu Ayyub Al Masri.

The military said he was killed between Baghdad and the Sunni city of Falluja, west of the capital.

The statement said he was "responsible for participating in terrorist courts and issuing fatwas" and had fought US forces in both major battles for Falluja in 2004.