21 Qaeda fighters killed in US air blitz

"Our information confirmed that Walid Khudair, also known as al-Jahash, leader of Al-Qaeda in the southern belts of Baghdad was killed," said Mustaf al-Jabouri, leader of the anti-Qaeda "Awakening" group in the targeted village of Arab Jabour.
"Twenty other terrorists were also killed," Sheikh Jabouri, a tribal leader, told AFP by telephone.
The US military could not confirm that militants were killed in Thursday`s air bombardments, which saw 47,500 pounds (21,500 kilograms) of explosives dropped on 47 targets in a 10-minute blitz.
"We have had no reports of any civilians killed," a US military commander Colonel Terry Ferrell told a Baghdad press conference.
Asked if any Al-Qaeda fighters were killed, he said, "I don`t have the assessment at this time."
He said the raid, which involved two B-1 bombers and four F-16 fighter-bombers, had targeted roadside bombs and arms caches rather than people.