IRAQ, March 27: Following are the events took place on Thursday (eighth day of war on Iraq):

About 1,000 US troops parachute into Kurdish-held northern Iraq as bombing shakes Baghdad.

Iraq says week-old conflict has caused over 4,000 civilian casualties, including more than 350 dead.

Explosions rock central Baghdad on Thursday afternoon, air raids continue.

UK defence sources say first priority of northern front is to shore up Kurd lines, not hit Baghdad; the US says paratroopers will support “robust flow of follow-on forces”.

The UK says discovery of protective chemical suits shows Baghdad ready to use weapons of mass destruction; Blix says no evidence from the US-led forces, Iraq has used illicit weapons.

Bush, Blair’s news conference in Camp David.

The Iraqi health minister says on civilian casualties: “Most of these martyrs and victims are children, women and elderly people... The Americans... and their allies are targeting civilians.”

The UK defence secretary says: “We do have evidence that the Iraqi regime is prepared to use weapons of mass destruction.”

CASUALTIES