Musab al-Zarqawi is wounded

Al-Qaeda`s branch in Iraq, blamed for numerous terror attacks on U.S. and Iraqi targets, said Tuesday in an Internet posting that its leader, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/ 22/101/399/14549_Fallujah.html ' target=_blank>Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been wounded and called on supporters to pray for his recovery.

The posting's authenticity could not be verified, but it was posted on a Web site known for carrying prior statements by al-Qaeda in Iraq and other militant groups.

Asked about the reports al-Zarqawi had been wounded, State Department spokesman &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/usa/2002/09/28/37407.html ' target=_blank>Richard Boucher said, "I don't know."

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the official's work said one of the possibilities being considered is whether it was purposely misleading information, reports USA Today.