Egypt's top envoy in Iraq confirmed killed

July 7, 2005

Al-Qaeda said in a web statement Thursday that it has killed Egypt's top envoy in Iraq, Ihab al-Sherif. The Islamic terror group released a video showing a blindfolded al-Sherif identifying himself, but did not show his death.

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak confirmed these reports, but did not say how the government had validated Al-Qaeda's claims.

Mr Al-Sherif, 51, had been serving in Baghdad as chief envoy since early June; he was abducted on 03 July while out buying a newspaper, eyewitnesses said. He was not accompanied by any security at that time.

Al-Sherif had also served as deputy envoy from 1999–2003.