Saddam's sons confirmed killed in Mosul firefight

Saddam Hussein's sons Qusay and Uday – the aces of hearts and clubs in the US's most wanted cards – have been confirmed dead today by US authorities following a "fierce gun battle" in Mosul, northern Iraq yesterday.

Two other bodies have also been recovered from the building the pair had barricaded themselves inside. One is thought to be Uday's 14-year-old son and the second body may be that of a bodyguard.

The US is considering broadcasting film of the bodies to persuade a sceptical local population that Uday and Qusay have indeed been killed.

The commander of US forces in Iraq, Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, said that US troops swamped the area following a tip from a local who approached US forces. The troops were then fired upon are they approached the house.

Lt Gen Sanchez said that Coalition forces responded with "multiple weapons systems" – or heavy machine guns, Apache gunships, RPGs and grenades – and a four-hour firefight ensued.

He added that Saddam's sons died when "they resisted detention and the efforts of the coalition forces to go in there and apprehend them".

"They were killed in the ensuing gunfight and the attacks that we conducted on the residence," he said. "We're certain Uday and Qusay were killed today. We used multiple sources to identify the individuals. The bodies are in a condition where you could identify them."

US officials are still working to identify two others killed in the fight, he added.

Four coalition soldiers were wounded in the operation.

"This will prove to the Iraqi people that at least these two members of the regime will not be coming back into power, which is what we've stated over and over again. And we remain totally committed to the Hussein regime never returning to power and tormenting the Iraqi people," he said.

The Iraqi who tipped off Coalition forces could be in line for $30 million in reward money being offered by the US for locating Saddam's sons.

(GMcG)