The US Defense Department is investigating whether a recent strike on a three-vehicle convoy fleeing Iraq near the Syrian border killed former top Iraqi officials, including deposed president Saddam Hussein himself and his sons, The Washington Post reported today.

The newspaper quoted unnamed defense officials as saying that the AC-130 gunship strike by Special Operations forces had drawn high-level attention in the Pentagon, and DNA tests were being carried out on the victims.

But they added that so far there was no evidence Saddam was hit, and some intelligence officials expressed doubt about whether the strike had targeted him or his sons, Uday and Qusay, the report said.

The attack on the moving convoy took place close to the Syrian border last Wednesday, according to The Post.

One source said the strike "chewed up something big" and added that the targets were believed to be among the top four or five Iraqis being sought, the paper said.

The search for Saddam gained new momentum June 16 when US forces captured his closest aide, Abid Hamid Mahmud, in a house in Tikrit.

The paper quoted US defense officials as saying that Mahmud had told US authorities that Saddam and his sons had survived the war and that the sons had escaped with Mahmud to Syria, only to be forced to return to Iraq.

Officials expressed uncertainty about whether Mahmud was telling the truth, and one official said Mahmud had not provided specific information on where Saddam might be found, The Post reported. - Sapa-AFP.