US attack on Zarqawi
Photo: Reuters
Photo of Zarqawi after assassination
Photo: AP
Zarqawi lived for nearly hour after bomb: US
Al Qaeda chief in Iraq died 55 minutes after two bombs hit building, apparently tried to escape
Al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al Zarqawi lived for almost an hour after the first US bomb struck his hideout north of Baghdad last Wednesday, a US military spokesman said on Monday.
Major General William Caldwell said Zarqawi died 55 minutes after the first of two 500-pound (227-kg) bombs hit the building and 24 minutes after US forces arrived at the scene.
He said they administered medical help to the mortally wounded Zarqawi.
Al-Qaeda Hit
(VIDEO) CNN quotes US general as saying ‘it was a very long, painstaking, deliberate exploitation of intelligence, information-gathering done over long period of time that led us to al-Qaeda linked terrorist’; Zarqawi’s spiritual advisor also killed in strike, he adds
A US medical officer, Steve Jones, told the same briefing that Zarqawi died from blast waves caused by the bombs, adding that he must have been in an enclosed space.
Jones said DNA testing had confirmed Zarqawi's identity.
Caldwell said the fate of the body would be discussed with Iraq's government.
The US military has said a total of six people were killed in the raid in the village of Hibhib north of Baghdad.
Bloody attacks
Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born Sunni Arab militant, was blamed for some of Iraq's bloodiest attacks since U S forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.
Iraqi leaders said Zarqawi's death was a major blow to al Qaeda in Iraq but no one expects violence to end anytime soon. Al Qaeda in Iraq on Sunday vowed to carry out large-scale attacks to "shake the enemy" after Zarqawi's death.
