A former chief of staff of the Iraqi Republican Guard and a general were among 12 captured on Tuesday in a raid conducted by the US Army in Tikrit, CNN reported.

Tikrit is the deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's hometown.

US Army spokesman Lt Col Steve Russell said the Iraqis were caught during a three-hour raid on 20 houses south of the city.

Officials, said CNN, described the detainees as members of a family closely associated with Hussein.

About 200 US soldiers participated in the operation, Russell said.

The captives were not identified by name and the general was not among the top 55 suspects on the deck of playing cards distributed to US troops, Russell said.

Agencies