Seized militant described as al Qaeda ally

Story Highlights

• NEW: Islamic State of Iraq denies any of its leaders arrested
• Officials first said detainee was leader of al Qaeda in Iraq
• Man was arrested in western Baghdad's Abu Ghraib district

Adjust font size:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A man Iraqi officials arrested Friday was not militant leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi as previously claimed.

Instead, he is a religious leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, a northern group associated with al Qaeda in Iraq, a high-ranking Iraqi Defense Ministry official told CNN on Saturday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, provided no additional details.

Friday afternoon, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said the arrest took place in western Baghdad's Abu Ghraib district.

The Islamic State of Iraq group posted a statement on a Web site used by militants denying that any of its leaders have been captured.

"We, the Islamic State of Iraq, affirm to all Muslims in the world that all the leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq are among their families and living lives blessed by the kindness of God," the posting states.

"The announcement by media that the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq or one of his close aides has been detained is baseless."

The Islamic State of Iraq has claimed responsibility for many attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces, including the downing of U.S. Army helicopters. Recently it kidnapped a group of Interior Ministry workers and showed video of their execution on the Internet.