US tries to confirm bodies' identity

The US military was tonight trying to identify two bodies thought to be Saddam Hussein’s sons.

American officials believe the remains of Uday and Qusay Hussein may be among four charred corpses recovered following a gun battle in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul.

US troops stormed a house belonging to a cousin of Saddam after receiving “good intelligence” that the dictator’s two sons had recently been there.

The raid sparked an intense shoot-out between members of the 101st Airborne Division and gunmen holed up inside the compound, officials said.

A Pentagon spokesman said there was a “reasonable possibility” that Saddam’s two sons were in the complex.

Two of the bodies are said to bear a strong resemblance to Uday and Qusay. DNA tests were expected to be carried out on the corpses to try to determine their identity.

One of the two other bodies appeared to be that of a teenage boy, possibly that of Qusay’s son. A US official said Saddam Hussein was not among the dead.

An Iraqi civilian was killed in the cross-fire and a US soldier was injured in the raid which took place in Mosul, a city 280 miles north of Baghdad, in an area that is largely controlled by Kurdish forces.

If the bodies are confirmed as Saddam’s sons it will be a significant boost to US and British forces in Iraq who have faced strong resistance since major conflict in the country was officially declared over.

Analysts believe it would help remove the fear that the old regime could return which prevents the local population from coming forward with information about resistance fighters.

Retired US Army Major General Paul Valleley said it also might lead to the discovery of the former Iraqi dictator.

US forces have so far captured 34 of the 55 Iraqis on a most-wanted list of members of Saddam’s regime.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld briefed George Bush personally about the raid.

If the deaths are confirmed it is expected to help the American President’s approval ratings which have dropped steadily since the fall of Baghdad.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: “The president is aware of the reports and is aware of the military operation that took place today. He will be kept appraised of any updates as they become available.”