U.S. captures suspected Iraqi guerrilla

BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A former Iraqi special forces officer and militia leader has been captured by U.S. soldiers, Radio Free Europe said Monday.

The U.S. Army said Kathim Muhammad Faris was captured in the central town of al-Habbaniyah Saturday.

The statement described him as "a former Iraqi special forces officer and a Fedayeen leader who is believed to be responsible for improvised explosive device attacks and ambushes on coalition forces" in the "Sunni triangle" region around Baghdad.

The army said Faris was closely linked to Khamis Sirhan al-Muhammad, No. 54 on a U.S. list of the 55 most-wanted former Iraqi officials. Forty of the people on the list have already been captured or killed.

Meanwhile, CNN reported the U.S. military began an offensive against insurgents based around Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit Sunday night, as part of the 4th Infantry Division's Operation Ivy Cyclone.