Saddam Hussein's Tomb Flattened In Iraq

The tomb of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein has been almost completely destroyed during heavy fighting between Islamic State militants and Iraqi soldiers.

The fighting around Saddam's hometown of Tikrit intensified over the weekend as Iraqi security forces fought to reach the city's centre.

Video released by Associated Press shows that the once-lavish tomb has been flattened during the fighting.

Mountains of concrete rubble can be seen at the site, where the support columns that once held up the roof are the only structures left standing.

IS militants have controlled Tikrit since June, when the group waged an offensive that also saw Iraq's second city of Mosul come under their control.

The Islamists claimed in August that Saddam's tomb had been completely destroyed, but local officials said it was just ransacked and burned, suffering only minor damage.

Saddam was executed in December 2006 following his capture by US forces in 2003.

He was sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity for the mass killing of Shi'ites and Kurds.

The former leader's body had been kept in the mausoleum since 2007.

The structure featured a marble octagon at the centre, where a bed of fresh flowers covered the spot whether Saddam’s body was buried.

Iraqi media reported last year that Saddam's body was removed by loyalists amid fears that it would be disturbed in the fighting.

The body's location is not known.