The city is full of people who have gone to the streets after the news that two pilots had parachuted over the city centre.

The pilots are 2, clearly seen by hundreds of witnesses. Everyone saw 2 parachutes coming down towards the Euphrates banks.

No one has seen the downed aircraft(s).

The sky is still covered in a thick curtain of smoke with a strong smell of oil.

Iraqi authorities confirmed the number of victims I reported yesterday: 10.

My contacts in Baghdad report that the real tally is much higher. It's going to take time but the real figure will be made public. Providing it doesn't increase with further bombings.

Policemen and soldiers are searching for the two pilots on the Euphrates and Tigris banks.

Suddenly the police tolerates independent journalists and stopped "stalking" them.

The situation in the city hospitals is still very serious both for the number of injured and for the lack of medical supplies.

Water supply has not been restored yet. Last night the city was blacked out for the first time since the bombing started.

Ten residential buildings have been hit in the city centre and in the suburbs. Soon the authorities should organize a convoy to take journalists to the sites of the bombed civilian buildings. It should be easier then to try to understand the number of the victims.

The independent journalists are back to the Andalus hotel. The atmosphere in town seems "more relaxed" in spite of the bombings that still go on in the suburbs at irregular times.

The city centre was also hit again at about 10am GMT. An army general staff building was hit causing the explosion of a nearby petrol station. About 50 people have been injured and rescued by other civilians and a few ambulances that arrived at the site.
It is not clear if anyone was inside the army building.

All the journalists - mainstream and freelance - are in the streets to cover the search for the two parachuted pilots.

2 rainbow flags have been seen flying from two civilian buildings, one flag had the word 'Pace' - Italian for 'peace' - printed on it.

Reciprocal solidarity between independent journalists and many Iraqi citizens who are offering hospitality and guided tours to see the real effect of bombardments.

Last night the wife of an interpreter working for a Russian journalist (Interfax) delivered a baby girl at home with the help of the journalist herself.
Joy and excitment: they named the baby Alexandra after the Russian journalist.