Last of Saddam Hussein’s top henchmen – who was ‘King of Clubs’ in US military’s “Deck of 55” most-wanted Iraqis – reportedly killed in military operation against Isil.
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the last remaining Saddam Hussein henchman on the run in Iraq, has reportedly been killed in a military operation near Tikrit.
Douri served as Saddam’s number two on the Revolutionary Command Council and was the “King of Clubs” card in the US military’s “Deck of 55” most-wanted Iraqis. He is believed to have since played a major role in the rise ofIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
Raed al-Jabour, the governor of Iraq’s Salahuddin province, told Al-Arabiya television that Douri has been killed in an area north-east of Tikrit, Saddam’s home city.
The station published a photograph purportedly showing his body.After the downfall of Saddam,
After the downfall of Saddam, Douri spent a decade as a fugitive, with many believing him to be dead, before re-emerging as the spiritual figurehead of a movement dedicated to restoring the Ba’ath Party to power.
The Iraqi governor quoted by Al-Arabiya described Douri as the “mastermind of Islamic State in Iraq”, describing his death as a blow to the jihadist group.
Douri was one of Saddam’s most trusted acolytes, helping to lead his 1968 coup. The US set a $10m bounty on him.
Gen. Haider al-Basri, a senior regional commander of Iraq’s army, told state television that Douri and nine bodyguards were killed by gunshots while riding in a convoy.
DNA tests are underway to confirm the identity of the body.
