Kidnappers of aid worker Margaret Hassan tonight threatened to turn her over to militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi unless Britain pulls its troops out of Iraq within 48 hours.

THE bodies of about 50 Iraqi soldiers were discovered yesterday after apparently having been killed in an ambush by insurgents.

US aircraft bombed Fallujah yesterday as troops continued to battle insurgents accused of sheltering foreign militants led by America’s top enemy in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

American warplanes pounded the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah today after the city’s leaders suspended peace talks and rejected the Iraqi government’s demands to turn over terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

US aircraft blasted the rebel stronghold of Fallujah three times in 24 hours over the weekend in a concerted effort to hit militants loyal to guerrilla chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

US FORCES launched air strikes on Fallujah yesterday, targeting what they said was a meeting of key loyalists of their top foe in Iraq, Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

US warplanes struck an alleged hide-out where operatives from an al Qaida-linked group had gathered today killing at least 20 people.

ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI, an Islamic militant with suspected ties to al-Qaida, has demanded that Japan pull its troops out of Iraq or face attacks, according to a statement posted yesterday on an Islamist website.

A GROUP led by al-Qaida-linked operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for a wave of attacks across Iraq yesterday which killed 75 people.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the terrorist leader allegedly claiming responsibility for the graphic beheading of a US civilian in Iraq, is adopting an increasingly public and influential role among Islamic militants, US officials and terrorism experts say.