War briefing

The North:

The allied presence in Mosul, Irbil and Kirkuk is reinforced by 173rd Airborne Brigade and the arrival of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Operations remain focused on finding regime leaders and searching key facilities.

Special operations and conventional forces spread throughout the northern oil fields have secured all the fields. One oil fire is still burning.

Baghdad:

With lawlessness easing, American troops and Iraqi police officers are patrolling the streets to quell looting and violence in the capital.

U.S. forces discover large numbers of weapons, including 80 Frog-7 missiles.

Tikrit:

U.S. Marines backed by tanks meet little resistance in taking control of Saddam Hussein’s hometown. Troops find abandoned military equipment and seize presidential palace without a fight.

Samarra:

A Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopter crashes; two crew members from Camp Pendleton suffer minor injuries.

Najaf:

Tribal leaders say they are in control of the city as an armed siege at the home of a Shiite spiritual leader ends.

Sources: U.S. Central Command, Jane’s Defense Weekly

Researched by Times graphics reporter Kristen Walbolt