Cruise missiles fired from Med for first time

TOWARDS Baghdad, part of the 3rd Infantry Division had reached the area of the Shiite holy city of Najaf after a 230 mile, 40-hour sprint through the desert, killing 100 machine gun-toting militiamen along the way.

When more than 30 Iraqi armoured vehicles were spotted heading towards the 2nd Brigade’s positions, A-10 and B-52 war planes were called in to hammer the Iraqis. The Army did not have to fire a shot.

Through the night, skirmishes continued in the farmlands outside Najaf.