Senior al-Qaeda in Iraq Foreign Terrorist Identified

Senior al-Qaeda in Iraq Foreign Terrorist Identified

Thursday, July 19, 2007
Coalition Forces positively identified a third foreign terrorist killed in an operation June 23 south of Hawija.

Ahmed Sancar, also known as Khattab al-Turki, was a known terrorist and senior leader in al-Qaeda and a key financier and facilitator for the terrorist group.

Sancar was killed during the same operation that killed Mehmet Yilmaz, also known as Khalid al-Turki, and Mehmet Resit Isik, also known as Khalil al-Turki. Yilmaz was a close associate of Khalid Shayikh Muhammad, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Yilmaz also led a group of Turks to Afghanistan in 2001 to fight against Coalition Forces.

Intelligence reports indicate that Sancar, like Isik, performed key communication and logistic roles for al-Qaeda in Iraq and coordinated with other senior al-Qaeda facilitators. Intelligence reports also indicate that prior to Sancar’s death, he was aggressively pursuing a plan to attack northern Iraq, specifically focusing on the Kurdish-controlled areas to increase al-Qaeda in Iraq’s operational reach in the country.

Coalition Forces killed the three foreign terrorists and senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders in an operation June 23. During the course of surveillance operations, Coalition Forces identified a vehicle which they assessed to contain Yilmaz and three associates traveling together. When the vehicle stopped, Coalition Forces moved to detain the four individuals. The four men exited the vehicle, which was followed during surveillance operations, with weapons in hand. As Coalition Forces moved to detain the armed men, the four armed terrorists fired on the forces. Responding in self-defense, Coalition Forces engaged the armed men, killing all four.

Inside the vehicle, Coalition Forces found rocket-propelled grenades, an RPG launcher, numerous AK 47 rifle magazines, a pistol and suspected homemade explosive materials. They safely destroyed the vehicle and weapons on site.

“Coalition operations are disrupting and destroying al-Qaeda’s terrorist network from the highest levels down,” said Maj. Marc Young, an MNF-I spokesperson. “We will continue to target and attack these terrorists who conduct horrendous acts of violence and terror against the Iraqi populace.”

(From Press Release #A070719c by MNF-I Press Desk, Baghdad, Iraq)