DUBAI - The Al-Qaeda group of Iraq's most-wanted militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on Monday denied any of its leaders had been arrested, contradicting reports from Iraqi officials that two senior members had been detained.
"Media have reported that the enemies of God arrested a deputy of our sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," said a statement on an Islamist website, the authenticity of which could not be verified.
"Our enemy has made us used to the lies that the crusaders' and Jews' leaders dictate to these media. We deny the arrest of our sheikh's deputies."
The Iraqi government on Sunday said it had detained Zarqawi affiliate Ammar Adnan Mohammad Hamza Zubaidi, known as Abu Abbas, believed to be responsible for coordinating 40 to 60 insurgents and a string of suicide bombings.
Zubaidi's arrest came after police said they seized another Zarqawi commander -- Ghassan Mohammed Amin Hussein al-Rawi -- in the Euphrates Valley town of Rawah on April 26.
"The propagation of such rumours is aimed at camouflaging their defeats," the Internet statement said.
"Our mujahedeen's blows are growing every day, new (elements) are swearing allegiance to the organisation of Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers, determined to pursue their jihad (holy war) against the enemies of God."
05/09/2005 15:21 GMT