Tikrit: According to Thawrah Abed Bakr, the regional director of the Red Crescent society in the Tikrit region, the bodies of Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, and 14-year-old grandson Mustapha, were buried in secret in the cemetery of Awja, the home village of their father.

"The bodies came by helicopter to the Tikrit airport at 9.30 am (11.00 hrs IST). The coalition called me to come and pick up the body," Abed Bakr said.

"I took the members of their tribe and uncles to the airbase. I received three metal coffins and i took the papers," she said.

"We took them to the cemetery's mosque. We prayed and we buried them in the family grave. Everything was finished by 12.30 pm (14.00 hrs IST). I had been told to do it secretly by the family and the tribe."

Karim Suleiman al-Majid, an uncle, and tribal chieftains of Saddam's family, Mohammed al-Nada and Ali al-Nada, attended the funeral along with 150 people, she added, describing herself as the link between Saddam's family and the coalition forces.

A coalition official had earlier confirmed the bodies had been released for burial, "yes, they were handed over to the Red Crescent and my assumption is they were buried in Tikrit."

The death news was confirmed by the chairman of the Red Crescent society, Jamal Karbuli also.

Agencies