ALLIED forces in southern Iraq were placed on high alert yesterday after reports that the Fedayeen, Saddam Hussein’s ultra-loyal brigade of martyrs is operating in the area.

British units have penetrated into Iraq to provide US marines with vital artillery cover, according to reports.

Another batch of British troops is today joining the multi-national security force in Afghanistan.

United States forces today intensified their hunt for Osama bin Laden, even as Afghanistan’s interim prime minister declared that terrorism had been ‘‘largely’’ beaten in his war-ravaged country.

British rapid reaction troops who could be called on to fight a ground war in Afghanistan are to stage a mock attack on an enemy airfield as part of a training exercise.

An advanced party of British troops today set off for Macedonia to start assessing conditions for collecting weapons from Albanian rebel groups.

An advance party of British troops was today setting out for Macedonia to begin Nato’s reconnaissance mission in the troubled Balkan state.