Iraq has said it fired five missiles at US-led forces on the outskirts of Baghdad in an admission that the 18-day-old invasion has reachedthe doorstep of the Iraqi capital.
"This morning our forces fired missile strikes on the enemyconcentration which dared to approach the outskirts of Baghdad,"a military spokesman said on state-run Iraqi television.
"Iraqi forces fired five missiles and another missile wasfired on the enemies in the central Euphrates," he said. Thestatement gave no other details.
Meanwhile, US Marines battled for control of a road bridge over the river Tigris on the southeastern outskirts of the Iraqi capital.
Reuters correspondent Matthew Green said Marines backed up byartillery, tanks and attack helicopters were firing at Iraqiforces on the far side of the river.
"They are working their way to the other side," said aMarine manning an M1-A1 tank as he listened to the progress ofthe battle over his radio.
The bridge was one of the two main bridges over the Tigrison the southeastern side of Baghdad.