U.S. military: Architect of U.S. troop abductions killed

Story Highlights

• Sheikh Azhar al-Dulaymi was killed Saturday, U.S. military says
• Al-Dulaymi's killing came during an operation in Baghdad's Sadr City
• Suspect also involved in a mass kidnapping at Ministry of Higher Education
• It's unclear how al-Dulaymi was fatally wounded, according to military release

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. forces have killed a man identified as the ringleader of the January 20 attack on U.S. troops in Karbala, Iraq, that left five Americans dead, military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

Sheikh Azhar al-Dulaymi was killed Saturday during an operation in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, according to an unclassified U.S. military presentation obtained by CNN.

But Caldwell said the death occurred Friday. (Watch how the insurgent gunmen carefully orchestrated their attack on U.S. troops )

"We've been pursuing this guy relentlessly," he said. "Anybody who kidnaps an American soldier and murders them we're going to continue to hunt down."

In the January attack, a group of armed insurgents "disguised as American soldiers, driving American vehicles, speaking English" raided a military compound in Karbala, killing one U.S. soldier at the scene and kidnapping four others, who were later slain, Caldwell said.

According to the military's release, al-Dulaymi -- who was armed -- was trying to hide on the roof of a building when coalition forces arrived on the scene to capture him.

The release did not detail how he was wounded, but said he died as coalition forces were taking him to a military medical facility.

The U.S. military has received intelligence reports that al-Dulaymi received training from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, "including training on how to conduct terrorist-style kidnappings," the military release said.

The release said al-Dulaymi is suspected of having been involved in a mass kidnapping at Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education building last November.

As many as 80 gunmen clad in old and new Iraqi National Police uniforms kidnapped approximately 70 people at the Ministry's building in central Baghdad on November 14.

All of those abducted were later released.