A US commander claimed that the American troops had crossed a 'red line' around Baghdad amidst fears that the elite units of the Iraqi government could retaliate with a chemical attack.

"We have forces that have already crossed those red lines," Brig Gen Vincent Brooks told reporters at the US Central Command in Doha, Qatar.

The US claims that the 'red line', set up by President Saddam Hussein around Baghdad, is the area within artillery and missile range of the Republican Guard units defending the capital.

Brooks also claimed that the Baghdad division of the Republican Guard, which along with the Medina and Nebuchadnezzar divisions was engaged in fierce fighting with US troops around Karbala, has been 'destroyed' near the town of al-Kut.

"Our land component initiated a two corps attack to destroy Republican Guard positions defending Baghdad. First Marine Expeditionary Force attacked the Baghdad division near the town of al-Kut. The Baghdad division was destroyed," Gen Brooks said.

US troops have also seized a dam at Haditha, northwest of Baghdad, which he said could have been used to ‘flood the Euphrates River leading down towards Baghdad, particularly in the area of Karbala'.

On the other side of the Euphrates River, a second US column was progressing, while to the east, US marines claimed they have seized a key bridge across the Tigris River at the city of Kut, allowing them to take control of one of the main highways north towards Baghdad.

The Medina division around Karbala and the Baghdad division around Kut were among the main military forces resisting the US advance towards the capital.

Meanwhile, in his second message in as many days to his countrymen, read over state-run Iraq television, President Saddam Hussein said that only a third of Iraq's armed forces have engaged in battle with US-led forces so far.

"Fight them. Victory, thank God, is at hand. We have only deployed a third of our army or even less than a third," Saddam, who on Tuesday called for a holy war against US-led invading forces, said in the message read by a news anchor in military uniform.

PTI