TIKRIT, Iraq, Sept 4 (AFP) - US forces have stepped up their hunt for Saddam Hussein's deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the most senior member of the ousted regime still at large, Iraqi police said Saturday.
The US military said they were always on the lookout for the former number two, who has a 10 million dollar US bounty on his head, but insisted the overnight operation targeted militants who had fired mortars on a US base.
"US tanks, helicopters and planes have been looking for Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri since last night," police Lieutenant Mohammed Jassem told AFP.
He said the search had focused on neighbourhoods east of Saddam's hometown of Tikrit following information Ibrahim recently had a blood transfusion in a local clinic.
Witnesses added that US troops patrolling the town had been displaying pictures of Ibrahim in different guises, wearing in turn his military uniform, traditional Arab clothes... and a Stetson hat.
He is ranked number six in the deck of cards of most wanted officials issued after last year's US-led invasion.
The US military placed the massive bounty on his head last year, accusing him of financing insurgent groups.
"We're looking for all sorts of people," said Major Neal O'Brien, a spokesman for the US military in Tikrit, stressing that operations conducted in the past 24 hours had led only to the capture of three Iraqis suspected of carrying out mortar attacks.