"We are watching the situation very closely. It is a very complex situation not only in military terms but also in the management of peace," Spokesman of External Affairs Ministry Navtej Sarna told the media.

Sarna described the situation in Iraq as "extremely fluid and evolving," saying that issues that need immediate attention were maintenance of law and order and of preserving Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

India's main concerns on the development in Iraq, he said, included an immediate end to the war, early withdrawal of US-led coalition forces, speedy humanitarian assistance while ensuring that territorial integrity and sovereignty were maintained in the country.

Meanwhile, posters denouncing the United States and British for waging a war against Iraq were removed on Thursday from Iraqi embassy compounds here as Iraqi diplomats and staffers awaited instructions from Baghdad.

"We were waiting for orders from Baghdad. We have no official information. We will decide on our next move after we hear from our government in Baghdad," Iraqi counsellor Adday Al Sakab told the press.

The Iraqi embassy here has lost communication with Baghdad, he said, adding that "we have not heard from Baghdad in five days."

Iraqi ambassador to India Salah Al Mukhtar was recently transferred to Vietnam at the end of his four-year term and his successor has not been named since then.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2003)