Explosions were heard in northern and western Baghdad at about 8:50 a.m. (05:50 GMT), and Iraqi anti-aircraft forces opened fire skyward, a Xinhua correspondent said.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command said in a statement that coalition forces had used "precision-guided munitions to target an Iraqi government complex in eastern Baghdad.

The complex served as an office location for Baghdad leaders and housed the youth ministry and the Iraqi National Olympic Committee, chaired by President Saddam Hussein's elder son Uday.

Baghdad, home to five million people, has been under devastating bombings daily over the past 13 days since the outbreak of a US-led war on March 20.

The coalition forces also intensified bombardment on Nasiriya, 375 km southeast of Baghdad, leaving 24 civilians killed and 116 others wounded, Iraqi television reported.

In Baajh, northeast of Nasiriya, local tribes attacked the British paratroopers who were trying to land in the area. Ten British paratroopers were killed in the crossfire, said the report.

In another development, Iraq denied on Tuesday that some family members of President Saddam Hussein have left the country after the beginning of the war.

A spokesman for the Iraqi Presidency said the family of President Saddam Hussein "is part of the big family of the Iraqi people" and "the fate of the small family cannot be isolated from the fate of Iraqi people."

The denial followed Western press reports that some family members of President Saddam Hussein have left Iraq.

Meanwhile, the official Iraqi News Agency said a number of Arab volunteers have arrived in the southern province of Qadisiya, some180 km south of Baghdad.

The agency said the Arab volunteers have expressed their insistence to sacrifice themselves in defense of Iraq and the principles of Islam.

Official reports in Baghdad said over 5,000 Arab volunteers from all Arab countries have arrived in Iraq to fight against the US and British troops.

Iraq has since fought against the invaders in its central and southern key cities, who have been managing to move northward toward Baghdad to oust President Saddam.

Defying international opposition, the United States and Britain launched the war under the pretext of disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq has denounced the invaders as "criminals" and "villains," while urging the international community to stop the "aggression" unconditionally.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2003)