British forces capture senior Ba’ath official

ABOUT 20 of Saddam Hussein’s henchmen were killed and a key party official captured in a daring night-time raid by British forces in southern Iraq.

The attack on a regional Ba’ath Party headquarters in Al Zubayr, near Basra, targeted a high-ranking party figure thought to be responsible for organising resistance in the Al Zubayr and Basra area. He was guarded by members of Saddam’s Special Security Organisation and fanatical Fedayeen fighters loyal to the Iraqi president.

There were no British casualties from the fighting, although dozens of Iraqis were hit. British military sources later said: “A member of Saddam Hussein’s ruling Ba’ath Party was captured by British forces in a raid at Al Zubayr last night.