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BAGHDAD, June 12: Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi died of grievous internal injuries to his lungs caused by the shockwaves from a US strike on his hideout, the US military said on Monday. The military, which also said DNA analysis confirmed the identity of the corpse as Zarqawi’s, revealed he died nearly one hour after US forces dropped two 227-kg bombs on his safe house north of Baghdad on Wednesday.
“There was extensive blast injury to the lungs. The cause of death was close space primary blast injury of the lung. Blast waves from the two bombs caused tearing, bruising of the lungs and bleeding,” US military doctor Col Steve Jones told reporters.
“This wound was not immediately fatal. Death occurred as lung function deteriorated and the lungs became progressively unable to absorb oxygen into bloodstream,” he added.
Col Jones brushed aside reports that Zarqawi was beaten to death after US forces found him alive after the air strike.
“He died of blast injuries and there was no evidence of beating. The injuries to his lungs were not survivable. That is what killed him as there were no firearm injuries visible on his body,” Col Jones said.
Maj Gen William Caldwell, a US spokesman, also gave further details on the timing of Zarqawi’s death and revealed that DNA analysis conducted by doctors from outside Iraq had confirmed the identity of his corpse.
“We have the DNA results of Zarqawi and it matches positive,” he said.
He said a medic with western forces tended to Zarqawi after the air strike, securing his air way and ensuring the militant was breathing as ‘he lapsed in and out of consciousness’.
The medic noticed that his breathing was shallow and pulse weak and concluded that Zarqawi’s death was imminent, the spokesman said.
“At 7.04pm on June 7 (the medic on duty) realised that Zarqawi was dead. This is approximately 24 minutes after the coalition forces arrived or approximately 52 minutes after the first strike on the safe house,” he said.
‘HEAVY SIDE’: A doctor who carried out the autopsy told the news conference from the United States that Zarqawi appeared to be healthy and in fit condition but was on the ‘heavy side’.
He said the autopsies on Zarqawi and his spiritual adviser Sheikh Abdel Rahman, who was also killed in the strike along with four other militants, lasted ‘two-and-half to three hours each’.
Gen Caldwell said he believed that Zarqawi was dressed in a ‘black outfit at the time of the air strike and there was nothing to suggest that we was wearing a suicide belt at that time’.
He said his and Abdel Rahman’s remains were ‘being treated with utmost dignity and respect’.
“He (Zarqawi) was treated better in death than he did in life,” said Gen Caldwell.
The doctor said the wounds of the two men suggested that Abdel Rahman ‘was close to the detonation of the bombs’.
“I believe Rahman was hit against a wall as there were severe head injuries. He was more exposed to blast waves than Zarqawi.” —AFP
