American officials were cockahoop last night over the capture of Saddam Hussein's most trusted aide who might lead them to the fallen dictator and even his weapons of mass destruction,

Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti - Saddam's presidential secretary, number four on the wanted list and the ace of diamonds on the US deck of cards portraying leaders of Saddam's regime - was captured in Iraq but no further details were released.

Meanwhile, a US soldier was killed and another wounded in a drive-by shooting at a petrol station in Baghdad yesterday.

The attack came shortly after troops, threatened by a stone-throwing crowd, killed two Iraqis during a protest outside the headquarters of the occupation forces in the stifling heat.