BAGHDAD, Feb 27: Iraqi Interior Ministry forces have captured a senior aide to Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraqi state television said on Monday. Iraqiya named the man as Abu Farouq and said he was captured with five others in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, west of the capital.

It said Abu Farouq al-Suri, previously unknown to the media, was captured by the Wolf Brigade, one of several counter-insurgency units. The word Suri is Arabic for Syrian, indicating that the captured man may have come from Iraq’s western neighbour.

US military spokespeople were unaware of the capture. US and Iraqi forces often report the capture of senior Al Qaeda operatives in Iraq.

Iraqi intelligence officials have said Zarqawi’s centre of operations appeared to move last autumn from the western Anbar province to the religiously mixed eastern province of Diyala.—Reuters