Zarqawi wounded in Iraq

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and one of Washington's most wanted men, has been wounded, a web posting said yesterday in an announcement that could mark a breakthrough against the two-year insurgency.

The statement, which US officials said could be a ruse, was posted on an Islamist site that often publicises Zarqawi's group. It was released on another day of violence in Iraq, with three US soldiers and two Iraqis killed in car bombings.

"O nation of Islam... Pray for the healing of our Sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from an injury he suffered in the path of God," said the posting by al Qaeda Organisation for Holy War in Iraq.

"You are the beloved of the mujahideen, and may God heal you and make you steadfast," the statement said.

The announcement follows unconfirmed reports this month that Zarqawi, a Jordanian for whom the Americans have offered a $25 million bounty, was wounded in fighting in western Iraq and had sought treatment at a hospital in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

Those reports followed the capture of one of Zarqawi's drivers, an aide and his laptop computer during raids in western Iraq, when the US military said it almost also caught Zarqawi.

Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda's overall leader, are Washington's two most-wanted man.

Yesterday's web posting did not say how or where Zarqawi was wounded, but urged his followers to pray for his recovery. The language used indicated his injuries could be severe.