Meanwhile, crowds surged across two reopened bridges in the city, looting areas which had been left alone till now.
Saddam aide 'surrenders'
Another major development is that Saddam Hussein's senior scientific adviser, General Amir al-Saadi, is reported to have surrendered to US troops.
If it's true, Mr al-Saadi would be the first from a list of 55 high ranking Iraqi officials wanted by the United States to surrender.