Britain favours a broad based, multi ethnic Afghan government and would be willing to commit troops to help such a regime take root, British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said in New Delhi today.

British troops played a ‘‘very significant’’ part in the rapid advance of the Northern Alliance forces across Northern Afghanistan, Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary, said today.

Northern Alliance forces say they are poised to seize two provinces where the Taliban still have some control in northern Afghanistan.