Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper on Wednesday said American troops had arrested Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Iraq's information minister under Saddam Hussein, at a roadblock in a Baghdad suburb.

There was no immediate reaction from Washington.

The ex-minister, dubbed 'Comical Ali' for proclaiming the defeat of US forces even as they moved into Baghdad, had been hiding out at a relative's house, but was caught on Monday night, the paper said in a report from Baghdad.

"He has some serious talking to do... this time," the paper quoted a 'senior coalition source' as saying.

At the height of his popularity, al-Sahaf even had a web site dedicated to his quotes.