US ends latest search, no sign of Saddam yet

US forces ended a search of an isolated corner of Iraq on Tuesday after troops backed by helicopters and tanks seized large stockpiles of weapons but found no trace of Saddam Hussein. Operation Ivy Lightning, launched on Monday, was the latest effort by the US 4th Infantry Division to hunt down pro-Saddam guerrillas.

The operation focused on remote villages around 130 km north of Baghdad, after intelligence reports suggested Saddam loyalists may have fled there to escape repeated raids around the deposed President’s hometown of Tikrit.

Unrest also affected the town of Safwan on the border with Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities closed the border crossing for several hours after vehicles belonging to Kuwaitis were attacked by locals in Safwan. British troops have been distributing petrol to gas stations to calm tensions in the region, but many locals remain angry that fuel is being rationed. The main oil refinery in Basra was shut down on Sunday due to lack of electricity. It was started up again on Monday afternoon, a refinery official said. —Reuters