Smoke was seen billowing in the sky but it was not clear where exactly the missile crashed.

The missile landed in the heart of Baghdad minutes after the capital's southeastern suburbs came under intensive bombing, sending red streaks into the night sky.

At around 10:30 pm (1830 GMT), Iraqi gunners opened up with heavy anti-aircraft fire on a plane seen overflying central Baghdad, the correspondent said.

President Saddam Hussein earlier called on Baghdad residents in a televised address to resist US forces closing in on the city, after the US military said it had seized Baghdad's international airport.

SPACE.WIRE