BAGHDAD, May 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi security forces captured a nephew of the ousted president Saddam Hussein in northern Iraq, the government said Wednesday.

   Aymen Sabawi, son of Saddam's half brother Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, was apprehended in a raid early this month near Saddam's hometown Tikrit, some 170 km north of Baghdad, the government said in a statement.

   "Aymen played a particularly active role in sustaining terrorism by providing financial support, weapons and explosives to terrorist groups," the statement said.

   Several suspect insurgents were also captured in the operation, along with a cache of explosives, the statement added.

   Aymen's father, one of Saddam's half brothers, used to serve as a presidential adviser before the US-led invasion of Iraq began in March 2003. He was captured on Feb. 26 near the Syrian border on charges of planning and financing insurgency from Syria.  Enditem