Iraqi gunmen offered only sporadic resistance during the morning to American troops, after 48 hours of fighting for control of the west bank of the Tigris.

US troops moving up the two banks of the river looked set to meet up in the heart of the city.

On the eastern side of the city people were out Wednesday on the streets which had been deserted the previous day.

US troops, backed by military vehicles were seen at Saddam City, in the northeast of the capital, where people were breaking into shops and homes to steal furniture, food, electrical equipment and carpets.

The suburb's heavily-armed population of well over a million had chased out the Fedayeen Saddam militiamen before the arrival of the US troops during the night.

A BBC reporter in Baghdad reported "scenes of jubilation" in northeastern and eastern sections of the Iraqi capital as US troops advanced.

"There's no one there (from Saddam Hussein's regime) to stop them" from welcoming the troops, reporter Andrew Gilligan said in a live broadcast, quoting "reliable sources known to the BBC."

There was no news on the fate of President Saddam Hussein and his senior aides.

Coalition warplanes flew low over the capital bringing air support to ground troops moving through the east and north of Baghdad where Iraqi forces had abandoned positions.

SPACE.WIRE