Abu Qaswarah died during an operation in Mosul on October 5 . He was second - in - command to Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al - Masri . Coalition forces shot him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city . The Moroccan native was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq ( AQI ) The military described Abu Omar as a ` ` charismatic '' leader .
Abu Qaswarah died during an operation in Mosul on October 5 . He was second - in - command to Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al - Masri . Coalition forces shot him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city . The military described Abu Omar as a ` ` charismatic '' leader .