WAR IN IRAQ: Largest land battle yet kills over 150 Iraqis.

AMERICAN forces were last night reported to be in a major land battle with Iraqi forces between the holy cities of Karbalaand Najaf,50 miles from Baghdad.

Initial reports said coalition forces had encountered a very significant Iraqi ground force. More than 150 Iraq is were killed when they launched an attack on US troops, thePentagon said.

Some reports suggested that the Iraqis, probably members of the Republican Guard's Medina Division, had suffered up to 500 casualties. It was probably the largest ground battle of the war todate.

Despite sandstorms that slowed down the Allied advance toward the Iraqi capital, the Republican Guard Divisions surrounding Baghdad had been pounded all day by bombs and missiles. RAF jets took part in the attacks. CNN reported that US forces were confronted by thousands of Iraqi troops. Some US armoured vehicles were hit but there were no reports of casualties.