THE body of former US President Ronald Reagan, escorted by Nancy Reagan and his children, began its journey to the capital, Washington, yesterday for national memorial services.

US warplanes strafed gunmen in Fallujah and more than 100 guerrillas armed with rocket-propelled grenades pounded a lone US armoured vehicle – a sign of heavy battles ahead if troops resume a full assault on this besieged city.

Gunmen opened fire on the Spanish garrison near the holy city of Najaf today during a huge demonstration by followers of an anti-US Shi’ite Muslim cleric.

At least four Iraqis, including two soldiers, died and 30 people were injured during a protest outside a Spanish military garrison in the southern holy city of Najaf today, witnesses and a hospital worker said.

Two US Marines have been killed in Iraq’s western Anbar province “as a result of enemy action”, the American military said in a statement today.

British forces were waiting for the order today to enter Basra in support of an apparent uprising by Iraqi civilians against Saddam Hussein’s militias.

Reports claim up to 750 Iraqi troops have been killed in battles with US forces near the Iraqi city of Najaf.

US INTELLIGENCE suspects that ground troops are increasingly likely to face chemical weapons as they approach Baghdad, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last night.

US ground troops invaded southern Iraq from Kuwait tonight as bombs fell and immediately got into skirmishes with enemy troops.

Orange flames could be seen today on the northern horizon in the direction of the Iraqi oil centre Basra, witnesses on the Kuwaiti border said.