Al Qaeda in Iraq has named a little-known militant to succeed its slain leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Internet statement said this evening.
"The shura council of al Qaeda in Iraq unanimously agreed on Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir to be a successor to Sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," the statement, signed by al Qaeda and posted on a Web site frequently used by Islamist militants, said.
"Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir is a good brother, has a history in jihad (holy war) and is knowledgeable. We ask God that he ... continue what Sheikh Abu Musab began," said the statement, which could not be immediately authenticated.
Muhajir was not among the names that al Qaeda analysts had expected as a likely successor to Zarqawi, killed last week in a US air raid on his hideout north of Baghdad.
Al Qaeda expert Fares bin Houzam said Muhajir could be a pseudonym for Egyptian militant Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who US officials have said could succeed Zarqawi, or Saudi-born Sheikh Abu Hafs al-Qarni, whom al Qaeda named as Zarqawi's deputy last year in an Internet statement later retracted.
"He might be either Qarni or Masri. What we can tell from the name is that he is not Iraqi because Muhajir means immigrant in Arabic," he said, adding that Muhajir had probably fought in Afghanistan.
"To be the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq is a high-ranking job among jihadists and goes to someone with a lot of experience."
A US counter-terrorism official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was not clear who Muhajir was.
"The name could be a previously unknown alias for a known al Qaeda in Iraq member, or someone who has emerged on the scene just recently. They might want to not release this person's actual name for what they view as well-founded security reasons, given the events of last week."