Iraq releases details of Abu Nidal's death
Abu Nidal, formerly the world’s most wanted terrorist, committed suicide as officials waited to take him to court, the head of Iraqi intelligence said today.
Tahir Jalil Haboush said the 65-year-old Palestinian shot himself in the mouth and died in hospital eight hours later.
Iraq had never admitted hosting Abu Nidal until reports of his death in Baghdad emerged this week.
Palestinian officials in the West Bank said Abu Nidal, whose real name was Sabri al-Banna, was found dead in the Iraqi capital on Friday.
Haboush said that when Iraqi officials discovered Abu Nidal’s whereabouts, a group of security officers were sent to his apartment with orders to bring him to court.
After saying he needed a change of clothes, Abu Nidal went to a bedroom and the officials heard one gunshot, Haboush said.
The Palestinian was still regarded by many as the mastermind of the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988 which killed 270 people.
He was accused of orchestrating more than 900 killings and woundings in 20 countries. He was given sanctuary by Saddam Hussein three years ago.
He was a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. He split from Yasser Arafat in 1974 and became his sworn enemy.
Abu Nidal formed the Fatah-Revolutionary Council group and is said to have been responsible for more than 100 terror attacks in 20 countries.
