Iraqi commander in custody, US army says

8.15am

BAGHDAD - The opposition Iraqi National Congress (INC) says Free Iraqi Forces have captured regional commander Mohammed Hamza al-Zubeidi and the US military has confirmed he is in their custody.

Zubeidi was 18th on the US list of 55 most wanted Iraqis and described as Saddam Hussein's Central Euphrates regional commander. He was the queen of spades in the US deck of cards picturing the Iraqis US-led forces aim to detain.

"He was taken into custody today by coalition forces," a US military spokesman at Central Command in Qatar told reporters on Monday (Tuesday NZT), but gave no further details on how or where he was captured.

INC spokesman Zaab Sethna told Reuters by telephone earlier that members of the Free Iraqi Forces which back the INC had seized Zubeidi in the town of Hilla, 100 km south of Baghdad.

He was the eighth "most wanted" Iraqi now in the hands of the United States and its allies since they took control of the country, toppling Saddam and his government.

Key capture

* Mohammed Hamza al-Zubeidi was a former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister.

* He was caught by the Free Iraqi Forces.

* He was a former member of the Revolutionary Command Council - the all-important decision-making body of Saddam Hussein's regime.

* He has been featured in Iraqi news film kicking and beating captured Shiite rebels after the first Gulf War.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq war