Baghdad has been hit by an intense bombardment

Around 3,000 sorties were flown by coalition planes during the past few hours but the defence secretary insisted every attempt was being made to minimise civilian casualties.

The headquarters of Iraqi intelligence was just one target attacked by British tomahawk missiles fired from submarines, he said.

During a press conference in London on Saturday the defence secretary sought to outline how coalition forces were seeking to minimise civilian casualties.

MoD Helpline Numbers Royal Navy and Royal Marines - 08457 414544 Army personnel - 01980 615500 RAF personnel - 01452 712612 ext 7080 or 7045

Standing alongside the chief of defence staff, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, Mr Hoon began by expressing regret at British casualties in two helicopter crashes.

The latest incident in which two Royal Navy aircraft collided claimed six British lives, bringing the total UK death toll to 14.

Mr Hoon went on to tell reporters that much of the bombardment suffered by Iraq in the past few hours was aimed at disabling the terror apparatus of the Iraqi regime.

"Enormous efforts" had been made to avoid civilian casualties.

A riverside area that housed "several so-called presidential palaces" had been targeted overnight.

If we had seen on our television screens whole cities alight, along with huge numbers of civilian deaths, there would have been uproar all over the world Carol Naughton CND Anti-war protests due: click here

"The overwhelming force during last night's attacks was not designed to turn Iraq into a wasteland," he said.

"Rather it was aimed at inflicting damage on the Iraqi regime while the civilian infrastructure is as intact as possible.

"The lights stayed on in Baghdad but the instruments of tyranny are collapsing."

Sir Michael said ordinary Iraqi's living in Baghdad were still able to gain access to fresh water.

RAF Tornados spearheaded the massive air strikes, targeting radar defence systems ahead of the bombing.

As Baghdad awoke to survey the wreckage, numbers of civilian deaths were unclear.

On the ground, a further 8,000 troops - made up of British Desert Rats and paratroopers - started crossing over from northern Kuwait into southern Iraq on Saturday.

'Significant bombardment'

Mr Hoon defended the air strategy and attempted to allay fears about Iraqi casualties.

Mr Hoon came to the press conference after attending a "war cabinet" meeting on Saturday morning, hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair and largely concentrating on how to get humanitarian supplies into Iraq.

British help take key strongholds Click here for story

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said there would now be a big push on aid.

But he conceded the first task to be accomplished was the clearing of mines around the south-eastern port of Umm Qasr, taken on Friday by allied troops.

He said the first aid ship would be the Sir Galahad, which is presently in the Gulf area, and which will bring in supplies of food and medicines.

The Chancellor Gordon Brown promised to ensure frozen assets of the Iraqi regime would be used for the benefit and welfare of the Iraqi people.

Over �400m is currently frozen in Britain, and Mr Brown said the Bank of England had asked all UK banks to doublecheck as a matter of urgency the origin of any Iraqi funds.