Saddam's close relative arrested in Kirkuk for terrorist mission

A close relative of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was involved in last Friday's attack on Kirkuk was arrested by Kirkuk police, said the police chief on Tuesday.

Sarhad Qadir, Kirkuk Police Chief, announced the arrest of one of the attackers who conducted an offensive against the security forces in Kirkuk on October 21. "The security forces managed to arrest Nasar Hamoud Abdulghani in Daquq district in southern Kirkuk," he said.

The hiding militant was found in an empty water storage tank along with several weapons and over a thousand bullets, Qadir said.

The IS militant is Saddam Hussein's cousin, the police said, noting that he had sneaked into Kirkuk along with the other IS militants for a terrorist mission. Later, he managed to flee to Daquq district.

Nasar Hamoud Abdulghani was a member of the president's personal security service during Saddam Hussein's time.

Kurdistan Region Security Council released a statement on Monday saying that the Kurdish counter-terrorism and Kirkuk security forces conducted a joint operation early morning on October 24th after which five more IS militants were captured.

A group of IS militants attacked several locations in Kirkuk early in the morning last Friday, but they were repelled by the police and security forces in the city. However, intense fire exchanges left nearly 90 people killed and more than 200 others injured.