Saddam right-hand man arrested

The most wanted fugitive in Iraq, former vice president Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, has been captured in a joint Iraqi-US military swoop on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout.

The Saturday operation, which took place in northeastern parts of Baqubah, found al-Douri hiding in a cave, Iraqi daily al-Sabah al-Jadid reported.

“The operation succeeded in targeting the central command headquarters for al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, which was responsible for violent attacks in four Iraqi provinces: Diyala, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, and Baghdad,” said the paper, quoting a security official.

The report also said that the raid was aided by US aircraft.

Official sources are yet to confirm the report.

Al-Douri, long sought for his alleged links to militants, had reportedly fled Iraq following the 2003 collapse of the regime led by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.