U.S. warplanes bombed Iraqi artillery just north of Kuwait on Wednesday, softening up the path of U.S. and British troops poised to invade Iraq. According to US military sources, the bombing came as 17 Iraqi soldiers surrendered at the border. The report came as the clock ticked toward the 1 a.m. GMT deadline set by the United States for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face attack.

The artillery, which U.S. intelligence sources said is capable of firing chemical or biological weapons, was well within range of U.S. and British troops on the Kuwaiti border.

U.S. military officials had reported the artillery would have to be taken out before the U.S.-led coalition stormed across the border into Iraq.

U.S. warplanes also bombed short-range, surface-to-surface missiles positioned near Basra, a southern Iraqi port city.

The artillery and missiles are within the southern "no-fly" zone that U.S. and British warplanes regularly patrol. The warplanes often attack targets within the zone, but before Wednesday, the targets had been air defense sites, such as radar installations or anti-aircraft batteries, that threatened patrolling planes.

Along the border, two groups of Iraqi soldiers defected Wednesday and were handed over to Kuwaiti authorities, Pentagon sources said.

A fierce sandstorm briefly cut visibility to around 10 feet Wednesday, but a U.S. commander said the dust would not disrupt plans for an imminent invasion of Iraq.

PHOTO CAPTION

With a huge force poised near Iraq, the U.S. military bragged March 12, 2003 that improved satellite- driven weapons, intelligence and communications now give American forces stunning advantage over any adversary. Photo by Reuters (Handout) - Mar 12 3:11 PM ET