US forces killed 12 militants in western Iraq including an al-Qaeda leader responsible for attacks around Ramadi, a focus of the Sunni Arab insurgency, the US military said overnight. A statement said Sa'ad Ali Firas Muntar al-Dulaimi, also known as Abu Abdullah, was among 12 people killed in a series of October 15 raids on suspected insurgents in Ramadi, about 110km west of Baghdad. The statement said Dulaimi was "highly regarded" by top al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq including the group's chief, Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. "(Dulaimi) was chiefly responsible for planning and executing all terrorist attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces in the Ramadi and Falluja areas," the statement said.