WASHINGTON, May 17: US forces have arrested the head of Saddam Hussein’s Special Republican Guard, the Pentagon said on Saturday.

Gen Kamal Mustafa al-Tikriti, No. 10 on the US most-wanted list of Iraqi officials, turned himself to US forces in Baghdad, the officials said.

He had reportedly escaped to Syria after Baghdad’s fall last month but returned. His brother Jamal Mustafa al-Tikriti, Saddam’s only remaining son-in-law, was taken into custody last month.

Kamal, who had been a secretary-general of the Iraqi Republican Guard, was designated the “queen of clubs” in the Pentagon’s deck of playing cards used to identify Saddam and his key associates, and was No. 10 on a US most-wanted list released earlier this week.

The United States now has 23 of the 55 officials on their list.

Kamal’s brother, Jamal, was married to Saddam’s youngest daughter and served under Saddam’s son, Qusai.

The surrender comes after US forces seized several generals of Saddam’s military in a raid southeast of Tikrit. Officials said Adil Abdallah Mahdi al-Duri al-Tikriti was taken into custody along with “a few generals” in Thursday’s operation in Ad Dawr.