Near Baghdad - Egyptians, Jordanians, Saudis and Syrians are fighting alongside Iraqi troops against US forces moving on Baghdad, using tactics including suicide bombings which left two marines dead, US officers said on Sunday.

One officer with the 1st Marine Division told AFP that US troops fought a 10-hour battle with hundreds of such fighters south-east of Baghdad on Friday.

"We were ambushed twice, and there were four suicide car bombings against tanks," the officer said. "There were nine casualties, including two marines killed."

The officer said contact was initially with some 150 black-clad fighters, but by the end of the battle between 300 and 400 had been killed.

'A whole conglomerate of Islamic freedom fighters'

"They kept bringing them in by the busload," he said. "It's a whole conglomerate of Islamic freedom fighters."

They were revealed to be Egyptians, Saudis and Syrians, the officer said.

Another officer, Major Rod Legowski, First Marine Division liaison to the US Army's 3rd Infantry Division, said "Egyptians, Jordanians and Syrians are in the fight alongside Iraqis," as well as other nationalities he did not name.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said on Tuesday that more than 6 000 volunteers had reached Iraq from the Arab world, while senior Iraqi officials made similar statements last weekend.

While it is difficult to confirm these figures, reports have come in from Cairo to Stockholm of Arabs volunteering to join the battle in Iraq.

As well as the nationalities given by US officers, Lebanese, Palestinians, Algerians and Moroccans have also been cited, while on Thursday dozens of Yemenis were detained as they tried to leave Sanaa on a flight to Damascus, with one-way tickets paid for by the opposition Baghdad-linked Baath Party of Yemen.

But while the volunteers head for the fray, Iraqi troops, including members of the elite Republican Guard, have been voting with their feet.

As the 1st Marine Division headed for Baghdad hundreds of young men wearing civilian clothing but also tell-tale military black boots were seen walking in the opposite direction.

Along the way, the US troops kept coming across piles of military uniforms and equipment, including gas masks.

Most of the deserters were being left to go on their way.

Burned out Iraqi tanks and gun positions were seen, as well as abandoned bunkers and trenches but few bodies, an indication of mass desertion, according to the US military.

Major Dan Broton, of the division's 5th Regiment command, said after inspecting Republican Guard bunkers: "They are rat-infested, with green and mouldy bread on the ground, and limited medical supplies.

"The conditions they were living under, it's no wonder why they were crumbling in the face of our advance and taking off their uniforms and going home." - Sapa-AFP