Suicide bomber kills Marines, search for Saddam continues

8.35am - by ANDREW BUNCOMBE

BAGHDAD - Several American marines died in a suicide bombing in the centre of Baghdad last night after a day of intense battles between US forces and Saddam loyalists, mostly from other Arab countries.

A man was reported to have approached a US military check-point near the Palestine Hotel in the centre of the city and detonated a bomb, killing and injuring a number of marines.

The attack occurred near the hotel where most foreign journalists are staying and close to the square where a large statue of Saddam was toppled on Wednesday.

A US marine captain, Joe Plenzler, said that "a man strapped with explosives approached a Marine checkpoint and detonated himself."

Earlier, marines fought gun-battles for more than four hours for control of a mosque in central Baghdad amid rumours that Saddam Hussein and senior members of his regime had taken refuge inside.

Close to a bend in the Tigris, American troops battled volunteer fighters from across the Arab world, armed with automatic weapons and rocket launchers. US planes flew low overhead bombing areas under Arab control Other pockets of fighting flared in different parts of the city - underlining how volatile the Iraqi capital remains and how premature are claims that American forces are fully in control of the capital.

At least one Marine and a number of Arab fighters were killed in the battles. US commanders said last night that they had secured the mosque but there appeared to be no sign of Saddam Hussein..

Despite claims that the US troops are positioned throughout the city, to the east of the Tigris at least, their presence appears concentrated in just a few key strategic points and on the bridges crossing the river. Elsewhere the city is slipping further into lawlessness as thousands of looters exploit the failure or inability of US forces to enforce civil control as they continue to fight pockets of resistance.

The fight at the Imam Al-Adham mosque in the Aadhamiya district of Baghdad appears to have been a somewhat different situation. The battle was initiated by US forces who were acting on a tip that a group of senior Iraqi figures had entered the building.

"We had information that a group of regime leadership was attempting to organise...a meeting. The fighting in and around the mosque complex could not be avoided as enemy forces were firing from the area of the mosque," Captain Frank Thorp said from the US Central Command regional headquarters in Qatar.

Whether or not President Saddam was ever at the mosque was unclear but Marine commanders said the target was of the "significant military value" and the US forces ordered in airstrikes to try and dislodge the fighters. The Arab fighters themselves responded with machine gun and mortar fire and rocket propelled grenades. In addition to the Marine fatality, another 20 were wounded.

US forces believe there are several thousand Arab fighters in Iraq, having joined the fight from countries across the region, including Jordan, Egypt and the Sudan.

In the Aadhamiya district and in nearby Waziriya Arab fighters were in control of a number of streets and had established road check-points.

There were also reports of many of them being spotted in the Mansur district, west of the Tigris where the regime's intelligence service was based. Earlier there were reports of fighting near an oil refinery in southwestern Baghdad while Marines also moved through the north-eastern suburb of Saddam City, targeting those fighters still shooting with heavy artillery, mortar and machinegun fire.

While the US forces fought these Arab volunteers, there was no sign of the regular Iraqi forces, most by now having long changed from their uniforms and mingling with the civilian population.

Locating the senior members of the regime along with President Saddam himself is a chief priority for the allied forces, more perhaps than it is for the ordinary people of Iraq.

"We have no idea where he is. We know no more than you. We listen to the radio - that it is," said Ajeep, a vet. "We don't feel comfortable. There are many problems facing us - there is no peace, there is just shooting and many thieves."

The problem of lawlessness and looting goes hand in hand with the problem of the continuing battles with small groups of fighters. US forces admit they do not have enough troops to both police the city in any meaningful way and deal with those fighters still continuing to shoot.

"There's civilian looting like crazy, all over the place. There just aren't enough of us to clear it out," said Marine Lance Cpl Darren Pickard, who was trying to protect an Iraqi police academy compound that was being picked over by looters.

Yesterday much of central Baghdad was swarming with looters, who were not only targeting government and military buildings but private stores and petrol stations As we drove through the main street in the old city yesterday afternoon there was a rattle of gunfire from automatic weapons as a group of looters appeared to argue on the pavement.

Elsewhere armed gangs were quarrelling over old furniture and other household items. As darkness fell last night the sound of sporadic gunfire continued to ring over Baghdad.

- INDEPENDENT

Herald Feature: Iraq war