Two al Qaeda in Iraq Leaders Reportedly Vaporized

Always good news seeing these maggots dispatched off to virgin land. Even better when they go in pairs.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced Monday that the two leaders of the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq have been killed.

In a televised news conference, Maliki said Abu Ayyub al-Masri (first photo), the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi (second photo), the head of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group that includes al Qaeda in Iraq, were killed in a recent raid.

American officials did not immediately confirm the death of the top insurgent leaders.

Iraqi officials have previously falsely claimed to have captured and killed top al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders. They announced last summer that Baghdadi, a shadowy figure, was in custody -- a claim they supported at the time with a video and photos of the alleged insurgent.

On Monday, Maliki said the raid where the leaders were killed occurred in recent days at a house in Salahaddin Province in northern Iraq. He said a team of Iraqi troops working with American soldiers carried out the operation.

Maliki said the two suspected insurgent leaders were found dead in a ditch after an air strike conducted by American forces.

"We have found a lot of documents, and hand-written letters," that implicated the men, Maliki said.

Maliki presented photos allegedly showing the slain leaders during Monday's news conference.

The Islamic State of Iraq has taken credit for a series of powerful attacks that have targeted government buildings, hotels, embassies and other targets in recent month. The group said it sees the Shiite-led government as an illegitimate byproduct of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq.