VP Biden addresses killing of top 2 al-Qaida figures in Iraq

VP Biden addresses killing of 2 al-Qaida figures

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden says the killing of the top two al-Qaida forces in Iraq is a “potentially devastating” blow to the terrorist network.

The vice president said that Iraqis led the operation based on intelligence that Iraqi security forces had gathered themselves.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki first announced the deaths of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri at a news conference in Baghdad and showed reporters photographs of their bloody corpses. The deaths were later confirmed by U.S. military officials.

U.S. and Iraqi forces killed the two al-Qaida figures in a nighttime rocket attack.

Biden gave his statement to reporters in the White House briefing room.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An administration official says Vice President Joe Biden plans to address the killings of the top two al-Qaida figures in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced the deaths of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri at a news conference in Baghdad and showed reporters photographs of their bloody corpses. The deaths were later confirmed by U.S. military officials.

Biden plans to address the topic in the White House briefing room. The White House announced his planned appearance without saying what it was about. An administration official did so on condition of anonymity because Biden had not yet spoken.

U.S. and Iraqi forces killed the two al-Qaida figures in a nighttime rocket attack on a safe house near Tikrit.