WITH thousands of frightened residents fleeing Baghdad and US troops in control of its airport, the Iraqi information minister promised yesterday that his nation’s military would launch an “unconventional” counter-attack against the coalition troops.

Thousands of Iraqi’s today ignored Saddam Hussein’s exaltations to stay and fight and were fleeing Baghdad in a stream of bumper-to-bumper vehicles after US troops seized the capital’s airport.

THUNDEROUS explosions rocked Baghdad yesterday and a towering column of churning orange smoke rose over the skyline in some of the mightiest bombardment of the Iraqi capital in days.

AIRCRAFT screamed in low over the Iraqi capital, shaking buildings early yesterday with a heavy bombardment. As anti-aircraft guns responded, a call of ‘God is great’ rang out from a mosque.

Clouds of thick smoke hung over Baghdad this morning as a series of explosions sounded in the distance and US troops advanced to within 150 miles of the city.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last night outlined eight objectives pursued

Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Sa’eed al-Sahhaf today acknowledged that one of Saddam Hussein’s homes was hit last night by US air strikes, but he said no one was hurt.

THERE was no need for UN inspectors to return to Iraq, the country’s information minister said yesterday, insisting that claims Baghdad still possessed weapons of mass destruction were a lie.