The attack came at around 3:05 am (0005 GMT), some 10 minutes after a bridge in the east of the city was targeted in the latest air raids by the US-led forces.

A series of explosions was heard later at about 6:50 am (0350 GMT) in the southern outskirts of the capital, where much of the early bombing had been directed on Wednesday.

Iraqi defence forces, including the Republican Guard, are concentrated in the southern outskirts, preparing to repel a ground attack by US-led troops.

It was not immediately clear how many bombs hit the presidential palace nor what damage was done.

Qatari-based Al-Jazeera satellite television said the shelling had targeted the Al-Sank telecommunications centre, which it said was the main such centre in the capital.

The southern outskirts of Baghdad were pounded by an especially intense bombardment on Tuesday that sent balls of fire and towers of black smoke into the sky.

SPACE.WIRE