Iraq briefing

Quick overview

Sporadic shelling began at dawn across Baghdad after one of the war's quietest nights, in which US forces swept through suburbs, meeting little resistance. Birdsong could be heard in the capital's eerie quiet. Looting starts in Baghdad and continues in Basra although coalition officials say they soon will have the situation under control. US Marines claim Arab guerrilla fighters who call themselves the Mujahideen have arrived in Baghdad to fight on behalf of Saddam. In Baghdad's stretched hospitals, doctors are being forced to operate using just headache pills.

Saddam Hussein

* British intelligence sources believe Saddam probably survived an air raid designed to kill him, but US media say the intelligence sources who reported Saddam entering a building in Baghdad before the airstrike did not see him leave.

The Washington Times reported that Saddam was being tracked by the CIA, a CIA-recruited spy and a Delta Force commando.

Casualties

* US - 96 dead, 10 missing.

* Britain - 30 dead.

* Iraqi military - More than 2320, according to US military.

* Iraqi civilians (Iraqi estimates as of April 3) - 1252 killed, 5103 injured.

The fight

* US forces advance to northwestern edge of city of Hilla, in central Iraq.

* US special forces prevent Iraqi troops moving south to Tikrit.

* US and Kurdish forces take key mountain from which Iraqis defended Mosul in the north.

Free press

* For the first time in the conflict, Iraqi Government monitors who have been keeping an eye on foreign journalists in the capital abandon their posts, allowing uncensored media reports from the city.

Herald Feature: Iraq war