* U.S. forces tighten grip around Baghdad as U.S. says it
has cut most approaches to the capital; U.S. general says troops
may still face tough Baghdad fight
* Six explosions hit southern outskirts of Baghdad and
planes heard overhead, Reuters witness says
* Britain says three British soldiers killed in Basra
* U.S. plane bombs convoy of U.S. special forces, Kurdish
fighters, killing 18 Kurds and wounding more than 45, including
brother of Kurdish leader Barzani
* Iraqi opposition says sends fighters to Nassiriya to join
U.S.-led campaign; Opposition leader sees two-year stay for U.S.
military

QUOTES
Britain's Major General Peter Wall on the battle for Basra:
"It's been a very good day but I would just caution against
excessive optimism. A relatively small number of determined
people in a large city can still give us difficulty."
U.S. General Peter Pace on fight for Baghdad: "There is no
doubt that it is still possible that we will have some
significant combat ahead of us."
Exiled Iraqi opposition leader Ahmad Chalabi on length of
post-war U.S. administration: "I'm not prepared to give a time
frame. But we expect to have a constitution ratified within two
years."

EVENTS (TIMES IN GMT)
Monday -
* Bush, Blair meet over dinner at start of two-day summit
south of Belfast, Northern Ireland
* U.N. Security Council holds meeting on Iraq (1500)
* Foreign ministers of six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council
hold emergency meeting in Kuwait to discuss Iraq war

Tuesday -
* Bush, Blair end two-day summit, hold news conference

CASUALTIES
* U.S. - Pentagon lists 81 dead, 8 missing
* Britain - 30 dead
* Iraqi military - U.S. says 320 Iraqi soldiers were killed
in battle for Baghdad airport, and about 2,000 killed since U.S.
forces started attacking the outskirts of Baghdad. Iraq has
given no figures for its military losses in war
* Iraqi civilians (Iraqi estimates) - 1,252 killed, 5,103
injured

MILITARY ACTION
BAGHDAD: Artillery exchanges, mortar fire heard in central
Baghdad; explosions hit east and southwest outskirts. Iraq says
it fires five missiles at U.S.-led forces on outskirts.
U.S. Marines battle for control of road bridge over the
Tigris. U.S. says its forces control almost all access to the
capital and 2,000 Iraqi fighters have been killed since attack
on outskirts began.
CENTRAL IRAQ: U.S. troops push into the centre of Kerbala
after battles with Iraqi paramilitaries threatening U.S. supply
lines.
SOUTHERN IRAQ: British forces launch second thrust into
Basra.
NORTHERN IRAQ: U.S. plane bombs convoy of U.S. special
forces and Kurdish fighters, killing up to 18 Kurds and wounding
the brother of Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani.
In the north, Kurdish fighters say they have captured the
town of Ain Sifni, northeast of Iraq's third city Mosul.