Iraqi police kill al Qaeda commander of western Iraq

Iraqi police in Anbar province scored a victory against al Qaeda in Iraq’s leadership in Anbar province on Monday. Iraqi police killed Abu Tiba al Karbuli and two aides and captured another during an engagement north of Ramadi.

“A police patrol came under fire from two civilian cars carrying al-Qaeda members,” said Colonel Salan al Gi’ud, a senior police official in Anbar province. Police returned fire, and killed al Karbuli and two aides. Abu Hamza al Iraqi, another aide, was captured and is said to be providing intelligence information on al Qaeda’s operations in western Iraq.

Like he majority of al Qaeda’s leadership in Iraq, al Karbuli was foreign borne. Although Karbuli is the name of a major Iraqi tribe, he is actually from Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda in Iraq has suffered a major setback in Anbar province. The rise of the Anbar Awakening and the integration the tribes and former insurgent groups into the security forces has deprived al Qaeda in Iraq of its former safe haven.

The Awakening weathered a winter and spring of fierce fighting and deadly chemical suicide attacks from Al Qaeda. The terror group’s last major attack in Anbar was defeated by US and Iraqi forces at Donkey Island just south of Ramadi. Al Qaeda was able to assassinate Sheikh Sattar Abu Rishawi at the onset of Ramadan, but the Awakening held its ground.

Iraqi and Coalition forces continue to target al Qaeda’s leadership throughout Iraq. Today’s raids against al Qaeda’s network resulted in four al Qaeda operatives killed and 17 captured.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Tags: Iraq