Noose tightens around Saddam Hussein's capital

US armoured units have pushed to just 10km from the edge of Baghdad, preparing for a crucial battle for control of the capital. American troops also surrounded Baghdad International Airport, 20km from the centre of the city.

In central Baghdad, an intense and sustained anti-aircraft barrage was reported coming from the southern outskirts where US-led forces have been bombarding the city's defenders.

US military officials said four elite Iraqi Republican Guard divisions were moving south from Baghdad but had so far not directly engaged the US forces.

As the US-led war to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein entered its third week, the sprawling city was heavily bombed overnight.

Iraqi soldiers yesterday shot down a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, killing seven soldiers and wounding four.

Initial reports indicated that the helicopter was downed by small-arms fire near Karbala, about 40km south of Baghdad.

The Euphrates River city was the site of fierce fighting between the US Army's 3rd Infantry Division and Iraqi troops, including Republican Guard forces, as the American forces pressed relentlessly towards the capital.

The Black Hawk, the Army's main helicopter for commando raids and search and rescue missions, was the second US helicopter to go down in combat.

US Central Command also reported yesterday the loss of an F/A-18 Hornet fighter-bomber. The fate of the pilot was not known.

The losses came as US troops stood poised at the Iraqi capital's doorstep after a northward blitz smashed two divisions of the elite Republican Guard.

"The dagger is clearly pointed at the heart of the Baghdad regime," US Brigadier General Vincent Brooks said.

General Brooks said US troops were prepared for any poison-gas attack.

"If it's used, we'll be prepared."

US forces surged past the towns of Karbala and Kut and captured key bridges over the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers as they prepared the way for an assault on Saddam's stronghold.

The Iraqi leader vowed that his troops would repel the invaders. "They will not let them reach Baghdad," Saddam said in a letter to his niece, read on state television. "They will cripple them until they return to their countries defeated, leaving our country for its people."

US spy planes spotted Republican Guard units moving south from the capital to counter the US attack.

Coalition forces sent rockets streaking towards the Iraqi positions, and American officials said it was not clear how many Iraqi soldiers were on the move.

Major General Stanley McChrystal, vice-director of operations for the US military's Joint Staff, said the dramatic advance had effectively destroyed two of the six Republican Guard divisions guarding Baghdad.

Iraq denied this, saying that the defenders' morale was high.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned that Iraqi moves to bolster the city's defences meant tough fights lay ahead.

"Our forces have been pressuring them on the ground and from the air. My guess is, however, that the Republican Guard that pretty much ringed Baghdad ... will probably represent some difficult days ahead and dangerous days ... in terms of fighting."



The capital's defenders have been preparing for urban warfare.

Pick-up trucks equipped with machineguns and anti-aircraft guns are dotted across the city, and militia and ruling Baath Party members have taken up defensive positions.

American forces would like to avoid street fighting in Baghdad, which might take a heavy toll of military and civilian lives.

General McChrystal said the United States had fired 700 cruise missiles, which cost over US$1 million each, since the war began.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq war