US troops in Iraq say they have killed an al-Qaeda leader who masterminded the attacks on a Shia shrine that led to a major escalation in sectarian violence.Officials say Haitham al-Badri was behind the 2006 and 2007 attacks on the al-Askari shrine in Samarra, which destroyed its golden dome and minarets.
The US said al-Badri was the leader of al-Qaeda in Salahuddin province.
The US claim came as mortar attacks killed at least 11 people in the eastern part of the capital, Baghdad.
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