For the first time a top Pentagon official has admitted the U.S. is now fighting a “guerrilla war.”

Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told Congress yesterday, “There’s a guerrilla war there but we can win it.”

The Financial Times reports that Wolfowitz’s comments reflect efforts by the White House to prepare the nation for a longer and more hazardous fight in Iraq than had been anticipated.

Wolfowitz’s comments came after it was revealed a US soldier was killed in a drive-by shooting at a Baghdad petrol station.

52 soldiers have now died in Iraq since President Bush announced the end of major combat on May 1.

Meanwhile up to 30,00 troops from a group of countries including Italy, Spain and the Ukraine plan to arrive in Iraq in mid-August to replace some of the U.S. forces.

And U.S. officials yesterday announced they had captured Saddam’s Hussein’s top aide, Abdel Hamid Mahmoud al-Tikriti. Only Saddam and his sons were higher on the Pentagon’s wanted list. One official described him to the Los Angeles Times as “the Condoleezza Rice of the Baath Party.” Officials in Washington are hoping he will provide information on whether Saddam Hussein is still alive and, if so, his whereabouts.