Local citizens counted explosions in their homes. "Twenty-five of them now," a Baghdadi told Xinhua journalists at the 20th minute of bombardment.

The massive airstrike, a part of the "shock and awe" campaign against targets across Iraq, befell on Baghdad at 21:00 (1800 GMT).

Giant fireballs and heavy fumes of smoke were seen rising up from some stricken sites. Xinhua journalists also saw missiles flying over head. Tracer fire lit up the night sky and anti-aircraft guns were firing towards the sky.

Other witnesses said presidential palaces of Saddam Hussein were hit by missiles and several buildings were ablaze.

"It was the worst moment since missile attack (since Thursday) on Baghdad," a local said.

Ambulances seen shuttling between attacked places and hospitals after the bombardment of Baghdad, suggesting many casualties, according to witnesses.

Al-Jazeera TV reported that US-led forces fired about 320 missiles at Baghdad and surrounding areas during the "shock and awe" operation and some 10 missiles hit the presidential palaces.

Meanwhile, air raid sirens woke up the northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. Al Jazeera TV pictures showed barrages of anti-aircraft fire opening up to the key in the two cities.

Speaking at a Pentagon press conference held shortly after the intense air strikes on Iraq, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirmed that the US-led forces have already started the devastating "shock and awe" bombing blitz, which was designed to bring Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to knees.

"The regime (of Saddam Hussein) is starting to lose control of their country," Rumsfeld said.

General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said at the press conference that US-led ground forces have pushed forward about 160 km deep into Iraq, and US-led forces will hit several hundred Iraqi military targets in the coming hours.

As the US-led war on Iraq proceeded to the second day, reports said the US and British ground forces have captured the town of Safwan in southern Iraq and the strategic Gulf port of Umm Qasr, which was located along the Kuwait border about 460 km southwest of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, in thundering explosions in Baghdad, Iraqi Defence Minister Hashim Ahmed told reporters that Iraqi forces are strongly resisting American and British invaders and stopped their advancement in certain stages.

There are reports saying the US-led forces have taken prisoner some 600 Iraqi soldiers, some of them surrendering themselves to the US and British troops by Friday night.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2003)