This photo made available by the U.S. military is said to show Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Qaeda leader in Iraq. (U.S. Military/Associated Press)

The U.S. military is denying claims by the Iraqi government that the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been captured, saying it was someone else with a similar name.

On Thursday night, Iraqi army and police officials said Abu Ayyub al-Masri had been captured in a raid in Mosul by Iraqi police commandos.

But after investigating the claims, the U.S. military says it was someone else who was arrested.

"Neither coalition forces nor Iraqi security forces detained or killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri," U.S. military spokeswoman Maj. Peggy Kageleiry said, without providing additional information. "This guy had a similar name."

There have been false alarms before about the fate of al-Masri. At least twice — in 2006 and in May 2007 — reports circulated that al-Masri was dead, but they were later proven wrong.

Al-Masri took over al-Qaeda in Iraq after its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed June 7, 2006, in a U.S. air strike northeast of Baghdad.

He was reportedly endorsed by Osama bin Laden but direct links between bin Laden's organization and al-Masri's insurgents are questioned by some.

The United States has a $5 million bounty on al-Masri's head.

With files from the Associated Press