U.S. air strike kills al-Qaida leader in western Iraq

An American aircraft raided the car of a mid-ranking leader of al-Qaida organization in Iraq, killing him and his driver late on Wednesday in eastern Ramadi, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

Rafa Abdul Salam Hamud al-Ithawi, also named as Abu Taha, is known as "the Emir of Shamiyya" area in al-Anbar province, the military said in a statement.

Ithawi frequently "harbored foreign fighters who entered Iraq."

The statement said the U.S. aircraft used "precision laser guided munitions," when targeted the vehicle carrying Abu Taha and his driver.

Al-Ithawi's death has caused great damage to Al-Qaida organization in Iraq, it added.

Source: Xinhua