Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay were killed in a gun battle with US troops at a villa in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today, US officials claimed tonight.
"We're certain that Uday and Qusay were killed," LieutenantGeneral Ricardo Sanchez told a news conference in Baghdad.
"We've used multiple sources to identify the individuals."
Uday, 39, Saddam's eldest son, was feared and famedthroughout Iraq for his cruelty and playboy lifestyle. Qusay,born in 1966, was one of his father's most trusted lieutenants.
LieutenantGeneral Sanchez said the US military had been given a "walk-in"tip that Qusay and Uday were in the villa and that the six-hourraid involved various military units, including special forces.
"An Iraqi source informed the 101st airborne division todaythat several suspects including Qusay and Uday...were hiding atthe residence," he said.
US forces had put $15 million rewards on the heads of eachof Saddam's sons.
The military was still working to identify two other bodiesrecovered from the villa, he said. Four soldiers werewounded in the operation.
He said Saddam's sons and the others in the villa hadbarricaded themselves in and fired small arms at approachingUS soldiers.
Saddam himself was not believed to have been at the villa,US officials said. They say he is probably still alive andhiding somewhere in Iraq. He has a $25 million bounty on hishead.
Widespread gunfire crackled across Baghdad after dark asword spread that Saddam's sons had been killed.
"It's celebration. People have heard about what happened," aUS military spokesman said.
The deaths of Uday and Qusay could be a telling US gain inthe struggle to convince Iraqis the horrors the two sons andtheir father represent can never return.
It could also bring welcome relief to US President GeorgeW. Bush, who has been under pressure over a mounting death tollamong US troops in guerrilla-style attacks that they blame ondie-hard supporters of the former Iraqi leader.
The imposing, concrete villa belonged to a businessman withclose ties to Saddam's family, neighbours said.
Mosul residents said shots were fired from the house as thetroops took up positions and approached it in the morning sun.
A new ambush today claimed the life of a sixth soldierin five days. A Sri Lankan Red Cross technician was killed inanother incident.
Ordinary Iraqis have been grumbling ever more loudly aboutthe failure of the occupying US and British forces to restorebasic services and hand power back to Iraqis.
There was delight among people in Baghdad as the news fromMosul filtered through to the capital, but at least one manvoiced disappointment that Uday, who ran much of Iraq's mediaand sport, had been killed.