Four Reuters staff have been injured as Baghdad's Palestine Hotel was struck, Reuters correspondents in the hotel said. A reporter, photographer, television cameraman and television technician have been taken to hospital.

Baghdad's Palestine Hotel has accommodated much of the foreign media in the Iraqi capital, including Elena Ioncheva, correspondent of the Bulgarian National Television.

It was not immediately clear if there were other casualties after a blast struck an upper floor of the high-rise building on the eastern banks of the Tigris river. Some observers said it looked like a tank or artillery shell had hit the building.

U.S. tanks, artillery and warplanes have been pounding Iraqi forces in the city center all morning. Iraqis have fired back with some artillery and rocket-propelled grenades.

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