US 'kills' key Iraq shrine bomber

Images of the mosque before and after the explosions Enlarge Image

US troops in Iraq say they have killed an al-Qaeda leader who masterminded the attacks on a Shia shrine that led to a major escalation in sectarian violence.

Officials say Haitham al-Badri was behind the 2006 and 2007 attacks on the al-Askari shrine in Samarra, which destroyed its golden dome and minarets.

Mr Badri's body has reportedly been identified by people close to him.

The US claim came as mortar attacks killed at least 11 people in the eastern part of the capital, Baghdad.

Mr Badri, said to be leader of al-Qaeda in Salahuddin Province, was killed on Thursday by US troops east of Samarra, US officials said.

"It looked like they were setting up an ambush and so they [the troops] brought in rotary-wing close air support and there was some strafing that occurred from helicopters," US military spokesman Mark Fox said.

He added that the dead man's body had been positively identified by "close associates and family members".

Turning point

The Iraqi government has always blamed Mr al-Badri for the February 2006 attack on the mosque, which is seen by many as a turning point in the sectarian violence, the BBC's Andy Gallacher reports from Baghdad.

The mosque is one of the most sacred Shia sites in Iraq, and the attacks set off a wave of sectarian violence which claimed the lives of thousands of civilians.

A second attack, in June 2007, saw its ancient minarets destroyed.

Violence claimed more lives in Iraq on Sunday.

In east Baghdad, a barrage of mortar rounds fell on a petrol station crowded with Iraqis queuing for fuel at dawn, killing at least 11 people, wounding 15 and destroying cars.

Mortar rounds also fell at another petrol station nearby, wounding six more people.

Shortages mean Iraqis often have to line up for hours for fuel, where they are frequently targeted.

Political crisis

News of Mr Badri's killing came amid a crisis within the ruling Iraqi coalition.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has refused to accept the resignation of six cabinet ministers from the largest Sunni party in parliament and urged them to come back.

The loss of the Iraqi Accordance Front ministers would leave the government with barely any Sunni ministers, undermining its claim to represent "national unity".

They accuse Mr Maliki of failing to rein in Shia militias and failing to give all parties a say on security issues.