Briefing MPs in the House of Commons in London, Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said US-led forces were holding more than 9,000 Iraqi prisoners of war, or 1,000 more than when he last spoke to MPs on Monday.

He also said that 39 British casualties were being treated "in theater" with another 35 having been evacuated.

On the imminent battle for the capital Baghdad, Hoon warned: "Do not underestimate the task that still faces our forces or the length of time that it may take to complete."

But he described the predominantly US and British effort to overthrow President Saddam Hussein and rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction in optimistic terms.

"The steady advance of the coalition continues. Our strategic grip on Iraq is tightening," he said.

"Every day we are further weakening Saddam Hussein's control over Iraq and moving another day closer to the end of his appalling regime and the liberation of the Iraqi people."

In the south, Hoon said British forces "continued to operate" in the Fao peninsula, the southern oil fields, and the area outside the key southern city of Basra which British troops will enter "at a time of our own choosing."

"The 7th Armoured Brigade is preventing Iraq forces in Basra from hindering the main advance (towards Baghdad) whilst establishing corridors for the safe movement of civilians and humanitarian aid," he said.

"We are now focused on building the confidence of the local people," he added.

In the north, Hoon said the US army's 5th Corps was moving towards Baghdad after securing crossings over the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, with elements of the 3th Infantry Division already "on the outskirts of Baghdad."

On explosions in Baghdad markets on March 26 and 28, Hoon said "neither of the market places had been targeted by the coalition, and we continue to investigate how these tragic events might have occurred."

"We always knew that the Iraqi regime would fight," he said.

"But what has shocked us, as democratic states observing the rule of law, is the extent of the regime's capacity for brutality and the killing of their own people," he said.

"Every aspect of what we do is, rightly and understandably, held up for public scrutiny. In contrast, Saddam Hussein's murderous thugs go about their brutal work out of sight of the media."

Saddam's regime, the defense secretary said, had deployed "a range of horror" in a bid to maintain its grip on power, including torture, rape and execution.

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