The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has confirmed today that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been arrested in the Iraqi city of Tikrit after an operation by US special forces. Speaking on his way back to Downing Street ahead of an official announcement, Mr Blair said that "a shadow has been lifted" from the people of Iraq.
Reports from early today speculated that the former dictator had been captured.
"I confirm that Saddam has been arrested," Mr Nazem Dabag, representative in Iran of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said.
The official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted PUK leader Mr Jalal Talabani as saying that Saddam had been captured in his home town of Tikrit.
"The American forces in Tikrit announced that Saddam was arrested on Sunday. The Americans said that they will announce the news officially in the next few hours," IRNA quoted Mr Talabani as saying.
The news agency report was from Qasr-e Shirin in Iran across the border from Iraq. A Talabani aide said the Kurdish leader was in Tehran on his way to France. US officials had said Saddam had eluded American troops by moving every few hours, probably in disguise and aided by members of his clan.