The Iraqi capital is again coming under sustained bombardment by US and British forces this evening. The southeastern outskirts of the city are reportedly being targeted.
Reuters has reported that more explosions were heard there just before 11.00pm (8.00pm Irish).
Earlier this evening several more powerful explosions struck central Baghdad and areas to the west and south of the capital.
This morning, an Iraqi official told reporters that an overnight bombardment of a residential block south of Baghdad left 'many dead and wounded'.
At least four waves of explosions hit the city last night, with more than 30 separate explosions heard.
Thirteen heavy blasts struck the southeast of the city over the course of an hour from about 5.30am.
Baghdad encircled within 5-10 days - Iraqi official
Iraq's Defence Minister has said that he expects US-led forces will manage to encircle Baghdad within five to 10 days.
But Sultan Hashim Ahmed warned that the Coalition forces would then have to face fierce street-to-street fighting. He said Iraq's main defences were in Baghdad.
US denies helicopter downed in Iraq
The US military has denied Iraqi reports that another Apache helicopter was shot down over Iraq today.
A US military spokesperson said that none of its helicopters were missing.
However the al-Jazeera Arab satellite television channel has shown pictures of a downed US helicopter surrounded by Iraqis waving rifles.
Fierce fighting across southern Iraq
American and British forces have been engaged in fierce fighting with Iraqi forces in three separate locations across southern Iraq.
US troops and members of Iraq's Fedayeen units have fought a major battle in the town of Samawah, the site of a crucial bridge on the River Euphrates northwest of Nassiriyah and on the way to Baghdad.
A number of US vehicles are reported to have been burnt out there.
US forces have also bombed the town of Nasiriya after coming under fire.
There have also been reports that dozens of US Marines have been by injured friendly fire around the town.
As many as 37 Marines are believed to have been injured, some critically.
'2nd front' opens in Nth Iraq
Hundreds of American troops who parachuted into northern Iraq in the first big US deployment north of Baghdad are holding an airfield about 30 miles north-east of the city of Irbil.
Coaltion commanders are expected to airlift more troops into the north during the next 24 hours.
US officials have indicated that the development is the beginning of a northern front in Iraq.
The soldiers are said to be part of the US Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Italy.
US troops were also seen being deployed near Kirkuk, after a series of aircraft landed at an airstrip between Sulaymaniya and Chamchamal, about 40km east of Kirkuk.
One witness spoke of up to 40 planes landing.
Reinforcements, previously planned to travel through Turkey, are on the way to the area.
They include the 16,000-strong 4th Infantry Division, which has been described as one of the most high-tech infantry divisions in the world.
Iraqi armoured column attacked
Meanwhile, Britain has said its tanks have destroyed 14 Iraqi tanks and armoured personnel carriers in fierce fighting further south near Basra.
The armoured column, estimated to be between 70 and 120 vehicles, left the southeast of Basra yesterday and was moving down the Al Faw peninsula when it was engaged by US and British aircraft and artillery.
Al-Jazeera television said today there were intensive air raids on Basra, including on nearby Abu al Khasib.
The UN has expressed alarm at the humanitarian situation in Basra, where British forces who have taken responsibility to allow US forces to press on towards Baghdad have encountered sustained resistance.
Missile intercept in Kuwait
Explosions were heard in Kuwait City this morning after the air-raid sirens were sounded there.
Kuwaiti officials said a missile was intercepted by a Patriot battery. Fifteen Iraqi missiles have been fired at the emirate since the invasion began.
Market bomb disputed
US central command says the market explosion in Baghdad yesterday may have been caused by Iraqi anti-aircraft fire falling back to the ground.
Officials have disputed Iraqi claims that US cruise missiles caused the deaths of at least 14 people.
They say a full investigation is being launched into what caused the blast.
Earlier today the Iraqi Health Minister, Umid Medhat Mubarak, has said that some 350 civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly had been killed and at least 3,600 injured since US-led forces launched their campaign.
MoD says two captives are not troops
Arab news channel Al-Jazeera meanwhile aired what it said was exclusive footage of a US Army Apache attack helicopter, which Iraq claims to have shot down as well as having destroyed three tanks and an unmanned aircraft.
Earlier, the British Ministry of Defence said that two men held by Iraq and shown on al-Jazeera television are not troops.
The two men are reported to be civilian subcontractors delivering supplies for the British army to Iraqi prisoners and should be treated as prisoners of war.
No details were given as to the men's nationality.
There has been widespread condemnation in Britain of the Arab station following its broadcast yesterday of footage of the bodies of two British soldiers killed near the southern port of Basra and two otehr British troops who were captured by Iraqi fighters.
