Jose Couso, of Spanish private network Telecinco, was wounded in the leg and jaw, the television announced during a morning current affairs programme.

The Reuters injured included a journalist, a photographer and a cameraman. The identity of the fifth casualty was not immediately clear.

Reuters has its offices on the 15th floor of the Palestine Hotel which houses most of the foreign media covering the Iraq war.

The 15th and 17th floors of the hotel were struck, blowing out windows as fierce exchanges raged on the 20th day of the US-led war. The 14th floor was also damaged.

A hole had been knocked into the hotel facade laying bare the metal structure of a column running past a balcony.

Dubai's Al-Arabiya television channel said its bureau on the 17th floor also suffered damage.

jch-sk-do/kir

SPACE.WIRE