MSNBC is reporting that US Special Forces have killed al Qaeda's leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Update: MSNBC reports that Pentagon officials have confirmed the story.

Update II: CNN is now also reporting that al-Zarqawi is dead, and is reporting confirmation from Iraqi government officials.

Update III: Fox News is reporting that Iraq' Prime Minister has confirmed al-Zarqawi death.

Update IV: AP is now also reporting al-Zarqawi's death.

Update V: Here is AP's first report:

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was expected to make an important announcement at a news conference in Baghdad on Thursday amid a report that al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been killed, his adviser said.

Al-Maliki adviser Adnan al-Kazimi told The Associated Press there was a report that al-Zarqawi may have been killed late Wednesday in Baghdad. He said he could not confirm the report.

He said al-Maliki was scheduled to shortly give a news conference along with the top U.S. general in Iraq, Gen. George Casey.

Update VI: Reuters is now also reporting al-Zarqawi's death:

Iraq PM says Zarqawi killed: TV

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced on Thursday that al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been killed, state television reported.

In Washington, ABC News reported that a U.S. air attack on a Baghdad house has killed Zarqawi. "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed in Baghdad during a bombing raid," ABC said.

Update VII: From the Washington Post.

President Bush on al-Zarqawi's death.

Prime Minister Blair on al-Zarqawi's death.

Update VIII: From the New York Times.

From the Los Angeles Times.

Update IX: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jim Wooten has it about right:

This has always been the way that the war on terrorism would be won. One bad guy or one small group of them at a time, just as President Bush explained to the nation after Sept. 11th.

Patience. Patience in supporting the men and women of the free world who are taking the Al-Zarqawis out. That’s all that’s ever been required of us. It’s been clear all along. The war will be won on the ground; if it’s lost — if our great grandchildren still live under threat of the al-Qaida offsprings — it will be because we lost our will at home.

Austin Bay.