US seizes key crossing in battle with elite troops

US TROOPS battled Republican Guard units and seized a key Euphrates River crossing yesterday after house-to-house fighting in the city of Hindiyah, some 50 miles south of Baghdad.

US and British war planes pounded the capital, striking palace compounds. Intense waves of air strikes came late last night after Iraq again warned that thousands of Arab volunteers were ready to carry out suicide attacks against coalition forces fighting to remove Saddam from power and disarm Iraq.

South of the capital, US troops massing for a decisive push toward Saddam’s seat of power yesterday reported their first serious fighting with Iraq’s crack Republican Guard at Hindiyah, just 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Baghdad. US officers said 200 Iraqis were killed, wounded or captured in the clashes which broke out overnight against the Republican Guard, considered Saddam’s most formidable military unit and key to the defence of Baghdad.