Ibrahim, who is ranked number six in the deck of cards of most wanted officials issued after last year's US-led invasion, was reportedly captured Saturday after fierce clashes with his supporters that left scores of casualties.

Iraqi officials on Sunday however appeared to backtrack on earlier claims he had been captured.

In Washington, the US Department of Defense had "nothing to confirm" Ibrahim's arrest, said Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood.

"The last report I have is that it is probably not him," said Flood, nevertheless adding that he could fully "neither confirm or deny" the reported arrest.

Ibrahim was reportedly seized as he received a blood transfusion in a clinic near his and Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, Iraqi officials said.

But Sunday Iraqi officials, including Major General Ahmed Khalaf Salman, who is national guard commander for the central region where the capture reportedly took place, denied the arrest.

"Our forces did not take part in any operation and did not capture Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri and we do not have any information concerning the subject," Salman said.

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.