One of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's most feared relatives, accused of ordering a chemical attack on Kurdish civilians, has been killed, according to British military officers in Basra.

The officers say that the body of Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as 'Chemical Ali', was found next to those of his two bodyguards and the head of Iraqi intelligence services in Basra.

Al-Majid was a first cousin of Hussein and had been asked to defend southern Iraq against the invading American and British troops.

In 1988, al-Majid led a campaign against rebellious Kurds in northern Iraq. The village of Halabja was bombarded with sarin and mustard gas, which killed an estimated 5,000 people.

They were among the 100,000 Kurds killed on the orders of al Majid and Hussein.

Al-Majid has also been linked to the bloody crackdown on Shiites in southern Iraq following an uprising after the 1991 Gulf War.

He served as governor of Kuwait during Iraq's occupation of the emirate in 1990-1991.

When British forces laid siege to Basra, the removal of al-Majid was one of the key objectives.

After his home was hit with two precision guided missiles last weekend, many believed and hoped that he was dead.

Across Basra, those who are against the regime have taken to the streets and are ripping down statues and murals of their president.

Although there is evidence of small arms fire on the outskirts, impromptu demonstrations are taking place with crowds shouting 'Down with Saddam'.

British troops are in charge of the city, but they have so far failed to prevent looting at the Central Bank, the Sheraton Hotel and randomly selected liquor shops in the city centre.

The Basra prison was thrown open on Monday and released prisoners were among those searching through the archives to find out more about the arrest, torture and death of their loved ones.

rediff.com Senior Editor Shyam Bhatia is the co-author of Saddam's Bomb, on Iraq's search for nuclear weapons.