"The total for the battle for today was four of our fighters martyred," the army said in a statement read on the state television, adding that five soldiers were wounded.

The US forces fired a total of 72 cruise missiles in the Thursday attack, adding that some of the missiles were shot down, the statement said.

The army also claimed that the "enemy" tried to cross Iraq's border at Al-Anbar province on the border with Jordan, but was "repulsed."

It admitted that Iraq fired missiles into "enemy concentrations" in Kuwait on three locations, without giving the numbers.

Meanwhile, US and British troops captured two Iraqi border towns hours after the ground battle started late Thursday.

Kuwait's official KUNA news agency first reported that the US and British forces captured the first Iraqi town of Um Al-Qasser, located 50 kms south of Basra, shortly after they crossed the border into Iraq from northern Kuwait.

The Abu Dhabi, UAE-based Al-Arabia TV reported shortly after that another Iraqi town of Safwar was taken by the US-British forces. It also reported that the Iraqi oilfield of Ar Rumayla was set on fire, without giving the cause.

Kuwaiti defense officials said the US Marine forces who crossed into southern Iraq Thursday evening met with resistance from Iraqi troops in the border areas. But so far no casualties were yet reported during the exchange of fire.

It is hard to confirm the press reports independently at this time.

The ground attack started as the US-British forces unleashed a second wave of massive air raids on the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad Thursday evening, which lasted for about 85 minutes.

Deafening explosions were heard in central city, while Iraqi anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky.

At least three buildings on the west bank of River Tigris were hit in the raids.

It remained unclear what was hit, but Arabic TV reports said the residence of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Planning Ministry were among the targetshit in the new wave of air raids.

In the first wave of predawn air raids, US forces fired dozens of cruise missiles and satellite-guided bombs to strike targets of the Iraqi leadership in Baghdad.

The residency of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's wife, Sajida Kheirallah Telfah, was also bombed, but no one was injured, a Xinhua correspondent in Baghdad reported.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2003)