Al-Qaeda's Iraq chief Abu Musab al- Zarqawi said in a purported statement on Thursday that a top Saudi al-Qaeda militant was killed in Iraq.

"Let the Islamic nation rejoice with the martyrdom of Abullah al-Rashud," said the statement posted on the Internet.

The authenticity of the statement could not be verified.

Rashud was killed during battles in al-Qaim, the restive city near the border with Syria, the statement said, adding Rashud came to al-Qaim one month and a half ago.

Insurgents, some of them believed to be foreign fighters, have mounted fierce attacks against Iraqi and US forces over the past two months, leaving heavy casualties.

Source: Xinhua