In the beginning of the battle of Baghdad, U.S. forces start a major ground offensive against at least two Republican Guard divisions -- the Medina and Baghdad divisions -- south of the Iraqi capital. U.S. forces engage Iraqi Republican Guard troops in a major fight in Karbala. In Nasiriya, U.S. Marines go block by block mopping up and attacking paramilitary units loyal to Saddam Hussein. The 1st Battalion of the 7th Marines secured two sites on the outskirts of Kut, an ancient city whose location on the Tigris River about 40 miles south of Baghdad makes it strategically important.