| British and American troops are poised to take the southern Iraqi town of Basra.
Unconfirmed reports say the centre of the the city has been taken by allied troops.
UK chief of defence staff Admiral Sir Michael Boyce earlier said British and American forces were "on the outskirts of Basra itself".
British forces on the way to Basra were dealing with "significant numbers" of Iraqi troops who had surrendered, Boyce said.
They had seen proof of "large-scale Iraqi capitulation, evidenced by abandoned positions and items of equipment," he added.
He said missions to secure the oil fields south and east of Basra had proved successful despite pockets of resistance.
"As a result of that operation ... all the key components of the southern oil fields are now safe," he said.
Boyce said there had been confusion about the number of wells alight by Iraqi troops beacause they were lighting trenches full of oil, making it difficult to tell exactly what is burning.
Specialist civilian contractors would be in the area within two days to deal with the wells that are on fire, he said.
"We are absolutely determined not to allow Saddam to yet more damage to the lives of his people through some sort of scorched-earth policy," Boyce said.
Boyce said he had no information about the situation in oil fields near Baghdad.
Source: Sky News | |
