Iraq’s Baath Party confirmed the death of one of its most prominent leaders and Saddam Hussein’s former right-hand man, Izzat Al-Douri on Monday.
Al-Douri, aged 78, the former vice-president to the late Iraqi dictator, stood by Hussein from 1979 until his fall in 2003.
He last appeared in 2019 in a video recording where he apologised to Kuwait for the 1990 invasion and denied its territory was ever part of Iraqi land.
His death was announced by the Baath Party, which is now banned in Iraq, in an audio recording posted on Facebook.
“Today, on the land of Iraq and the land of Rabat and jihad, comrade Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri, the knight of the Baath and the Iraqi national resistance, descended his horse,” it read.
“In view of this event, we are confident, comrades of the struggle, that you will follow the will of our late comrade who bid us all to preserve the principles of this party and be patient.”
Iraqi authorities have yet to issue a statement regarding his death.
Dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003 in the US led-invasion of Iraq.
He was sentenced to death and hanged in 2006 for crimes against humanity.
The Baath Party, which he led, was immediately banned by Iraqi authorities and all his cronies were detained and had their assets seized.
Al-Douti was a member of the Naqshbandi Order, a sufi group that had some followers in northern Iraq.
He later reportedly led the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order, a militant group opposed to the US occupation and Iraqi government.
Culled from TheNewArab