U.S. troops rain bombs, shells on Baghdad

BAGHDAD, April 8 (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft, tanks and artillery pounded central Baghdad on Tuesday, hitting government buildings -- and media offices -- in a thundering raid that began at dawn and continued into the afternoon.

"They're targeting the same area over and over. The place is shaking and there's smoke rising," she said from an upper floor of the Palestine Hotel, home to most foreign journalists.

That spot was later hit by a U.S. tank shell that killed two cameramen, Taras Protsyuk of Reuters and Jose Couso of Spain's Telecinco, and injuring Nakhoul and two other Reuters staff.

In a separate incident, an Al-Jazeera television journalist was killed when a missile struck the station's offices.

U.S. Third Infantry Division forces encountered 200 to 300 paramilitary fighters and Special Republican Guard elite forces on foot and 40 to 50 trucks, racing to try and block the American advance, a U.S. military spokesman said.

"The trucks have been destroyed and most of the people as well," Major Mike Birmingham said on the outskirts of Baghdad.

On the ground, dust rose on streets devoid of cars or people as rumbling U.S. tanks moved to expand control of the city centre beyond a base in a presidential palace on the west bank of the Tigris river.

A tank crossed to the east side of a central Baghdad bridge, the first time U.S. forces have advanced over the river in the heart of the Iraqi capital, a Reuters correspondent said.

American forces also pushed in from the north, as U.S. officials said they were increasing their troops in Baghdad.

"There has been no organised resistance or effort to displace the coalition forces," Captain Frank Thorp said at Central Command forward headquarters in Qatar.

On the 20th day of the U.S.-led war to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the air attack was concentrated on an area between the Jumhuriya Bridge and Iraq's Information Ministry.

Half a dozen blasts battered the area where Iraqi television and radio are also located, as well as Shabad Television, which is owned by Saddam's son Uday, and Al-Jazeera and Abu Dhabi television. Iraq domestic television went dark after the attack and Iraqi radio was off the air.

Al-Jazeera said its office was hit in a U.S. air strike. Reporter-producer Tarek Ayoub was killed and a crew member hurt.

U.S. military spokesman Major Rumi Nielson-Green in Qatar said: "We did not target Al-Jazeera."

A thin column of smoke rose from the Palestine Hotel, where much of the international media are based.

U.S. General Buford Blount, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, told Reuters: "A tank was receiving small arms fire and RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) fire from the hotel and engaged the target with one tank round."

Ambulances rushed civilians injured in the bombing and shelling to hospitals where surgeons have worked round-the-clock and anaesthetics and supplies were running low.

"Supplies are running very low, particularly of emergency supplies. Nothing has crossed the border into Baghdad since the conflict began. Even where there were sufficient supplies, those supplies have been given out to hospitals and are being used up," said World Health Organisation spokesman Iain Simpson.

This correspondent visited one hospital where the injured sat and stared blankly. One man wondered where the Iraqi military had gone.

"They (the Americans) control the air. I think our people chose not to fight," he said.

Two major streets that were crowded with hundreds of paramilitaries on Monday, were deserted on Tuesday. A few civilians looked bewildered as they roamed around the city that has been the focus U.S. military fury for almost three weeks.

This correspondent saw flames pouring from buildings and thick black smoke hanging over the western part of the city where U.S. tanks, which burst into the city centre on Monday, moved towards the Information Ministry from the southwest.

At a presidential palace seized by American forces, U.S. troops exchanged machinegun and artillery fire with Iraqi forces apparently trying to storm the compound.

U.S. tanks advanced under heavy fire from Iraqi positions outside the palace compound. The tanks appeared to be moving towards other government buildings to the north in an apparent bid to expand their area of control in the city centre.

Reuters correspondents estimated the U.S. forces had moved some three km (two miles) since dawn, taking them into the nerve centre of Saddam's administration. U.S. planes screamed low over the city giving close air support.

One A-10 Warthog ground attack fighter was shot down by a rocket near Baghdad airport. The pilot ejected and was rescued.

U.S. Apache helicopters and planes struck a compound southeast of Baghdad city centre that is used by Iraq's elite Republican Guards. Two Apaches fired rockets and machineguns into the Rashid base and jets screamed in to join the attack.

Nearby, U.S. Marines said they had captured the Rashid airfield on the eastern outskirts of Baghdad, which was abandoned by retreating Iraqi forces.

U.S. military sources said troops spent the night in the city centre, despite the threat of attacks, to send a signal of how far the Americans were determined to take control of the capital of five million people and overthrow Saddam.

This correspondent visited one hospital where the injured sat and stared blankly. One man wondered where the Iraqi military had gone.

They are so much red goo on the desert floor.....

The Buffs and days and nights of advanced cluster bomb technology postively "mistified" em

They were "Cluster" f*#ked to the max....the Republican Guard divsions are gone...never to be heard from again..they simply dissapeard into the desert sands...blowing in the wind...

"We did not target Al-Jazeera."

Only the enemy assets contained therein.

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