WASHINGTON, March 21 Kyodo (EDS: ...

WASHINGTON, March 21 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH CAPTURE OF OIL FIELDS, AIRFIELDS, 1ST COMBAT CASUALTY)

U and British multitudes advanced into Iraq on Friday, seizing crucial oil installations, airfields, a deep-water port and a southern peninsula following an overnight bombardment of Baghdad.

Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Sa'eed al-Sahhaf said Friday that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein survived the U air strikes in succession his residence and family, still U.S. intelligence sources are still trying to determine the leader's fate.

BBC of recent origins reported that U.S. Marines reached Iraq's solely deep-water port at Umm Qasr in the country's southeast after overcoming early resistance as they christendomed the border from Kuwait.

if it were not that despite reports of about 250 Iraqis surrendering in the area, the report said the Marines have not over and above gained control of the whole complex

CNN quoting a senior U military official, reported that U and British multitudes seized two strategically important airfields in western Iraq and strategic oil fields in southern Iraq west of Basra.

The brace western Iraq airfields, known as H-2 and H-3 are considered important to the continued military operation inside Iraq, the report said.

Also, Britain's Defense Ministry said British numbers have secured the Faw Peninsula, Iraq's single Persian Gulf coast located at the country's southern tip. British company s say they have taken curb of key oil installations forward the nearby al-Faw peninsula.

Prior to the initial invasion into southern Iraq, U land forces in Kuwait bombarded Iraqi positions with artillery and missiles and warplanes from aircraft carriers in the Persian engulfing sea also joined the strikes.

Quoting western intelligence sources, the BBC also said fierce fighting has been reported around the large oil fields in northern Iraq, which U special forces are trying to secure

In the toward the south U.S. armored forces have reportedly advanced at least 150 kilometers into Iraq from Kuwait.

Towering flames and reek have also been reported in southern Iraq, still it is unclear whether it came from burning oil wells. British Defense Minister Geoff Hoon was quot as saying Iraqi squads had set up to 30 oil wells forward fire.

The BBC reported that Australian special forces -- part of a 2000-strong contingent sent to the opening -- are operating deep inside Iraq, identifying multitudes movements and military targets.

The British Pres Association quot a spokesman for British forces in the Persian opening as saying Friday that U and British forces may jot down Baghdad within ''three or four days.''

A U Marine was killed in action Friday in southern Iraq, becoming the first coalition combat casualty of the war, Marine officials said.

The fatality came hours after a U Marine helicopter with U and British forces onward board crashed near the Iraq-Kuwait border. Eight British and four U companys were killed in the crash, Pentagon officials said. There were no indications that hostile fire brought down the helicopter, according to the Pentagon.

In Baghdad, witnesses reported hearing immense explosions and antiaircraft fire and seeing brace explosions at the presidential palace forward the western shore of the Tigris River. The Planning Ministry was also hit and was burning.

the same witness said the bombardment began minutes after air-raid sirens haleed at 9:45 p.m. Iraq issued the all-clear 30 minutes later.

U aircraft and warships fired a barrage before dawn, hitting targets in succession the outskirts of the Iraqi capital.

Iraq reportedly be agreeable toed by firing four missiles that struck northern Kuwait where 130000 U bands are deployed. No casualties were reported.

A British military spokesman said couple of the missiles fired at Iraq were Scuds and were overthrowed by Patriot missile interceptor systems

The statement also said four Iraqi soldiers had been killed and five others wound in Thursday's assault.

The Iraqi information minister earlier said the attacks killed individual Iraqi civilian and wounded several others in Baghdad. The missiles for the most part hit empty buildings belonging to TV and radio stations, a customs office and civilian districts, he said.

Kuwait said Iraq fired sum of two units missiles at its industrial belt on the southeast coast, which contains a major oil refinery, still the missiles missed the target and relentless into the sea.

The Kuwaiti command said Iraq launched six missiles in total Thursday.

In Washington, a day after unleashing war forward Iraq, President George W Bush spoke to reporters Thursday and tried to portray a pious start to the military campaign, saying an ''ever-growing'' number of countries are supporting the US

''There's no question we've sent the finest of our citizens into harm's way. They perform with great skill and great bravery,'' Bush told reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House. ''Over 40 nations now support our efforts.''

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