The Day in the Gulf

* U.S. PLANES DOWNED: Two American planes, an A-10 and an A-6, were shot down, apparently by antiaircraft artillery, the U.S. Central Command said. This brought allied combat losses to 22 aircraft, 15 of them American. Allied air strikes continued with about 2,600 more sorties.

* SCUDS LAUNCHED: Iraq fired two Scud missiles at Israel five hours apart, but both missed Israeli cities and fell harmlessly. At least one Scud was fired at Saudi Arabia, but it was destroyed by Patriot missiles over Riyadh. It was the first Scud attack against Saudi Arabia in nearly a week.

* BRIEFINGS CHANGED: Journalists and the U.S. military agreed to try a new format for the daily war briefing that provides for a 30-minute televised period followed by a background session with military spokesmen. The command’s media director agreed to extend the briefings beyond 30 minutes but insisted that the additional period not be televised and that officers will speak only on background, with their remarks attributed to “military resources.”

* GROUND ACTION: Little ground fighting was reported near the Kuwaiti border. Five Iraqi tanks trying to cross into Saudi Arabia were repulsed by Qatari tanks, with four of the intruders reported knocked out.

* THE OIL SLICKS: Southerly winds held back the world’s largest crude oil spill while international experts and equipment poured in to try to protect resources along the Persian Gulf shore. Forecasters expected the favorable winds to continue over the next few days.

* BUSH URGES PRAYER: President Bush asked Americans to pray for the safety of allied troops, protection for prisoners of war and tranquillity for the souls of the dead. Bush has designated today as a “national day of prayer.”