BAGHDAD | The U.S. military Friday denied Iraqi government claims that the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was captured.</p><p>Iraqi authorities had announced Thursday that police commandos captured Abu Ayyub al-Masri in a raid in the northern city of Mosul.</p><p>&#8220;Neither coalition forces nor Iraqi security forces detained or killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri. This guy had a similar name,&#8221; said Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, a U.S. military spokeswoman in Iraq. She said no additional details were being immediately provided.</p><p>Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the confusion arose because the commander of Iraqi forces in northern Nineveh province was convinced that he had arrested al-Masri.</p><p>There had been false alarms in the past about al-Masri. At least twice &#8212; in 2006 and May 2007 &#8212; reports circulated that he was dead, but they were later proved wrong.</p><p>Al-Masri took over al-Qaida in Iraq after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed June 7, 2006, in a U.S. airstrike northeast of Baghdad.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Friday&#8217;s developments </span></strong><br /> &#8226;<strong>MILITANTS KILLED: </strong>The U.S. military said soldiers killed six Shiite extremists who Thursday attacked U.S. forces in Baghdad&#8217;s Sadr City.</p><p>&#8226;<strong>UPGRADES:</strong> The U.S. military is reinforcing the sides of its top-line mine-resistant vehicles, The Associated Press reported.</p><p>&#8226;<strong> SECURITY CLEARANCE:</strong> Blackwater Worldwide, the security contractor blamed by the Iraqi government for the shooting deaths of 17 civilians, is not expected to face criminal charges.</p><p>This all but ensures that the company will keep its multimillion-dollar contract to protect U.S. diplomats.</p><p></div>