The statement was carried by the official Iraqi press agency.

Until Friday, that is, when the Iraqi press agency called both men "disappointed traitors" and said they would be divorced.

The Iraqi press agency said the Iranians had retreated, "leaving behind mountains of bodies."

The hostages who sent the messages were "at a vital installation," the official Iraqi press agency said, but did not indicate where.

The Egyptian and Iraqi press agencies reported two apparently separate shooting incidents, including one after dark near the Government headquarters.

The official Iraqi press agency said the planes, which it did not further identify, had penetrated Iraq to a depth of three miles.

And today the Iraqi press agency said that the total number who have gone back to their homes as of Tuesday stands at 179,421.

The official Iraqi press agency said other jets struck offshore oilfields.

The Iraqi press agency issued a denial of the report tonight.

"The enemy failed to capture a single inch of land," the official Iraqi press agency quoted a military spokesman as saying.