 On 3 May 2007, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said that al-Baghdadi had been killed by American and Iraqi forces north of Baghdad.On 23 April 2009, AFP reported that he had been arrested by the Iraqi military, and on 28 April the Iraqi government produced photos to prove it to skeptics.The claim was denied by the Islamic State in Iraq which according to SITE Institute released a recording of al-Baghdadi denying the government's claims.