Invasion force pushes into Iraq

Invasion force pushes into Iraq

US and British troops have been trying to secure Iraq's southern oil fields

US and British troops advanced deep into Iraq early on Friday.

US Marines have reached Iraq's only deep-water port at Umm Qasr in the south-east, having overcome some early resistance as they crossed the border from Kuwait.

British troops also say they have taken control of key oil installations on the al-Faw peninsula.

Fierce fighting has been reported around the big oil fields in northern Iraq, which US special forces are trying to secure, according to Western intelligence.

The BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson who is near Kirkuk says he has been hearing the sounds of battle, including artillery and anti-aircraft fire, from the direction of the oil fields.

Explosions

Our correspondent says he was also told by Kurdish fighters in the area that the Americans had bombed an airfield near Mosul - the other large Iraqi city in the northern oilfields area.

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Large explosions were reported from the direction of Basra, 70km (44 miles) north of the Kuwaiti border, and unconfirmed reports say several oil wells in the area are on fire.

In Iraq, the information minister says President Saddam Hussein is safe, and denies that any soldiers have surrendered to US-led forces.

BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the attacks so far have been more graduated than expected.

In other developments:

• European Union leaders meet in Brussels for their spring summit to discuss humanitarian aid to Iraq and its reconstruction

• A wave of US B-52 bombers begins to take off from RAF Fairford in England

• US-led forces may enter Baghdad within "three or four days", a spokesman for the British forces in Persian Gulf says

• The opening of Turkish airspace to US warplanes is held up by a dispute over "technical details", despite Thursday's agreement by the Turkish parliament

• Eight British and four American troops are killed when a CH-46 Sea Knight transport helicopter crashed in Kuwait, in what is believed to have been an accident

• Australian special forces - part of a 2,000-strong contingent sent to the Gulf - are operating deep inside Iraq, identifying troops movements and military targets, Australian defence officials say

• More than 1,000 people are arrested at an anti-war demonstration in San Francisco, while similar protests against the conflict are held throughout the world

• United States expels remaining three Iraqi diplomats in country, announces it will freeze all non-diplomatic Iraqi Government assets and asks other countries to take similar action.

One convoy of US Marines which crossed into Iraq overnight has come under fire from Iraqi forces.

We've been told to retreat... we're now in rapid retreat having encountered much stiffer resistance than we expected

The BBC's Adam Mynott (early on Friday)

The BBC's Adam Mynott, who is travelling with the marines, says the convoy was attacked with small arms fire and missiles just a few yards inside the Iraqi border.

There has been much stronger resistance in this sector of the battlefield than many in the US-led forces had expected, our correspondent says.

British artillery was called in from northern Kuwait to bombard the Iraqi positions, while the convoy was forced to retreat.

'Surrendering'

Scores of Iraqi soldiers 'have been surrendering to US-led forces'

One reconnaissance unit is said to have advanced about 200km (125 miles) through open desert to the west of the river Euphrates.

Correspondents have reported seeing towering flames and smoke in southern Iraq, but it is unclear whether this is from burning oil wells.

Elsewhere, the marines met little resistance as a long convoy of vehicles, including tanks and artillery, snaked its way across the Iraqi desert.

The BBC's Clive Myrie saw scores and scores of Iraqi soldiers surrendering to 40 Commando, UK Royal Marines.

The Iraqi capital, Baghdad, was tense but quiet at daybreak on Friday, after sustaining two air raids within 24 hours.

On Friday morning, two of the three main buildings in the Tigris complex of ministerial offices were reduced to burnt-out shells - not actually in rubble, but completely unusable, says the BBC's Paul Wood in Baghdad.

The strike, which only lasted 15 minutes, appears to have been precise but the Iraqis report that civilians were injured, he says.

The BBC's correspondent in Washington, Justin Webb, says it appears that the Pentagon is willing to pause at least for some hours before putting into action the planned devastating aerial bombardment of Baghdad, the so-called "shock and awe strategy".

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Given the risk of civilian casualties that strategy entails, America would plainly prefer to prevail by other means if possible, our correspondent says.

The Iraqi president's main palace and government offices were among targets struck in the second wave of attacks.

Our correspondent says the hope in Washington is that Saddam Hussein's power structure has been significantly weakened and his ability to co-ordinate a strong response to the US-led ground attack has been damaged. Marine Division poured into Iraq.

In his first public appearance since America launched its first strike, President George W Bush praised the US troops in action, saying: "There's no question we've sent the finest of our citizens into harm's way."