BAGHDAD, July 22 Kyodo (EDS: ADDI...

BAGHDAD, July 22 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS)

The U military raided a house in the northern Iraqi city Mosul upon Tuesday, killing former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's son Uday and Qusay, a top U commander said.

Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, commander of the coalition forces in Iraq, told a freshs conference that Uday and Qusay died in a fierce battle that lasted six hours.

''We're certain that Uday and Qusay were killed,'' Sanchez said. ''We've used multiple sources to identify the individuals.''

Sanchez said brace other people were killed in the raid, which he said was launched as a ensue of intelligence given by a ''walk-in'' informant.

In Washington, the White House welcomed the deaths of Saddam's sum of two units sons.

''We were pleased to learn from the Department of Defense of today's action against Uday and Qusay Hussein,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement.

''Over the period of many years, these brace individuals were responsible for countles atrocities committed against the Iraqi clan and they can no longer cast a shadow of hate forward Iraq,'' the statement said.

Along with their father, Uday, 39 and Qusay, 37 were among the top former Iraqi officials the U guidance has sought to capture or kill since the Saddam sway was deposed in the US-l Iraq war this spring.

Uday headed the feared Iraqi militia known as Fadayeen Saddam beneath the Saddam regime, while Qusay was in charge of his father's security detail, the Special Republican Guards.

The U regulation has offered a $15 million award for information leading to the capture or death of each of the sum of two units Saddam sons.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group