The U.S. military says it has captured Barzan Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti, the half-brother of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Central Command spokesman General Vincent Brooks says special forces backed by U.S. Marines captured Barzan al-Tikriti in Baghdad, in an operation carried out in the early morning hours Thursday.
"The capture demonstrates our commitment to relentlessly pursuing the scattered members of a fractured regime. Efforts related to other regime leaders are ongoing," he said.
General Brooks described him as a senior adviser to Saddam Hussein, with extensive knowledge of the Iraqi regime. He had been listed as Number 38 on the coalition's list of 55 most wanted fugitives.