Saddam Hussein Captured In Tikrit

British Prime Minister Tony Blair as confirmed Saddam Hussein has been captured in Tikrit, Iraq. Unconfirmed news broke late Sunday night (NZ Time) after Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani was quoted by the official Iranian news agency saying that the former leader had been captured in a cellar beneath a home in Tikrit.

Reports emerged from Iraq said the United States led occupation force conducted DNA tests which confirmed the captured man was Saddam Hussein.

Blair welcomed the news saying it "removes the shadow" from over Iraq. He added Saddam would likely be tried in Iraq by an Iraqi court for crimes against humanity.

Reports suggest Kurdish forces co-ordinated by U.S military initiated the capture.

Iraqis were shown celebrating the capture of their former president in the streets of Baghdad and the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

US authorities had earlier offered a USD$25m reward for information leading to his capture. His sons, Uday and Qusay, were killed in a raid by US forces in the northern city of Mosul on 22 July.

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