Iraqi security forces captured Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, head of al-Qaida in Iraq network, in northern Iraqi city Mosul, Iraqi official television reported yesterday.

During an operation conducted by the Iraqi security forces in Mosul, 400 km north of Baghdad, the Iraqi troops captured Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the Iraqi state-run television quoted Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman as saying.

Al-Muhajer was announced leader of al-Qaida in Iraq on June 12,2006. He was a senior aide to former leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a US airstrike on June 7, 2006. Since then, US Pentagon sources identified him as one of the prime candidates to assume direction of the Iraqi insurgency.