Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How was Saddam Hussein captured after the fall of Baghdad?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Iraq War
U.S. soldiers in Sāmarrāʾ, Iraq.
Following the fall of Baghdad on April 9, 2003, Saddam Hussein fled into hiding and successfully evaded U.S. forces for several months. He was eventually captured on December 13, 2003, near his hometown of Tikrit.12
U.S. soldiers discovered him hiding in a small underground space located near a farmhouse. Although he was armed at the time of his discovery, Saddam surrendered to the troops without firing a shot. Following his capture, he was tried by the Iraqi High Tribunal, convicted of crimes against humanity, and subsequently executed by hanging on December 30, 2006.213