According to the United States, Abu Ghadiya was killed in a 2008 raid by US special operations forces inside Syrian territory.[9] However, the U.S. never produced Ghadiya's body. Contradicting American claims, an AQI obituary of the militant which was released in August 2006 stated that Abu Ghadiya had died on the Saudi–Iraqi border sometime after the US–Iraqi offensive on Fallujah in November 2004.[10]