"They are not even within 100 miles (160 kilometres), they are on the move everywhere. They are a pig moving in the desert," he said, referring to US and British troops as mercenaries and US Vice President Dick Cheney as "despicable".

"If that's the case we will welcome them with music and flowers," added Sahhaf mockingly.

A US commander south of Baghdad said Thursday US forces were within 15 kilometers (nine miles) of the city center near its main airport and controlled the southern approaches to the capital.

Sahhaf said Iraqi troops continued to fight coalition forces everywhere in Iraq, including Basra, Karbala, Najaf and Nasiriyah.

"It is not enough to say heavy casualties. We are destroying tanks, personnel carriers, killing them and we will continue," said the minister, the Iraqi regime's main spokesman since the start of the US-led campaign two weeks ago to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Sahhaf said Iraqi fighters south of Karbala destroyed on Wednesday an F-18 warplanes, an Apache combat helicopter and a Chinook troop carrying helicopter.

The United States has admitted the loss of a F/A-18 and a smaller Black Hawk helicopter.

Fedayeen militia had also destroyed three tanks and a personnel carrier south of Karbala and another Apache in the southern Muthana province, he said, adding that the same unit destroyed another tank in Muthana.

Sahhaf said the 442nd regiment of the Iraqi army pushed back a coalition attack near the southern city of Basra on Wednesday.

"Basra is in good shape and our fighters remain there," he said adding that even in the port city of Umm Qasr there continues to be resistance.

Coalition forces captured and occupied Iraq's only deep water port and main access to the Gulf two weeks ago and are now in the process of cleaning the area of potential mines so to allow the unloading of humanitarian aid.

As for casualties of bombing raids on Baghdad, Al-Sahhaf said that according to initial estimates 140 were injured and five killed Wednesday night.

He added that early Thursday coalition forces dropped cluster bombs on the Al-Doura area of Baghdad killing 14 people and injuring 66, while raids on Mahmoudia district, 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Baghdad, killed five and injured 59.

SPACE.WIRE