"The vital goal is to reach Baghdad as swiftly as possibly thus bringing the end of the regime closer," he told the House of Commons, the lower house of the British government.

"Coalition forces led by the American fifth Corps are on the way to Baghdad. As we speak, they are about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad near Karbala," he said.

"It is a little way from there that they will encounter the Medina Division of the Republican Guard...This will be a crucial moment," Blair told the lawmakers, noting that "those closest to Saddam resist and will resist strongly".

"The two main bridges over the Euphrates south of Baghdad have been taken intact," he revealed, adding that air campaign against Iraq had been precisely targeted.

Meanwhile, he said the coalition forces "want to this campaign to minimize the suffering of the ordinary people."

Blair also said the coalition troops had secured the Al Faw area and were taking "massive efforts" to clear supply lines for aid to Iraq being hindered.

However, it will take days for the coalition to sweep mines in Umm Qasr, according to Blair.

"Saddam will go, this regime will be replaced ... The weapons of mass destruction will be eliminated," he reiterated.

Since the conflict began early Thursday, two Royal Navy helicopters and an RAF Tornado have been lost in accidents and two British soldiers have been missing after their vehicles came under attack from Iraqi forces Sunday.

Blair, who has sent about 45,000 troops to the Gulf and aware of British unease about the war, told his troops through the British Forces Broadcasting on Sunday that Britain had united behind the armed forces despite widespread opposition to the war.

However, he said: "These things are never easy. There will be some tough times ahead."

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2003)