US Iraq envoy cannot confirm al Qaeda chief killed

WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) The US ambassador to Iraq said today he could not confirm al Qaeda's leader in Iraq had been killed and said while his demise would be ''positive'', it would not end the terror group's activities there.

''The coalition was not involved in this action, whatever it was, in any way, which means I cannot confirm to you that Abu Ayyub al-Masri has actually been killed,'' Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Washington-based reporters in a video-conference call from Baghdad.

Iraq's Interior Ministry said earlier the al Qaeda leader had been killed in a fight between insurgents north of Baghdad.

''Clearly, taking a major terrorist off the battlefield is an important thing and if we can confirm that this did happen, without question it would be a significant and positive development,'' said Crocker.

''That said, I would not expect it to in any way bring to an end al Qaeda's activities in Iraq,'' said Crocker, adding that al Qaeda had quickly adjusted to the death of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US airstrike in June 2006.

REUTERS SY RK2032