War developments so far

Here is a summary of the latest attack developments in the Iraq war.

:: Royal Marine Commandos – working with their US comrades – have launched an assault to secure the Al Faw peninsular, a key oil sea route for Saddam’s regime.

Snipers reportedly penetrated the peninsula yesterday and a fierce artillery bombardment prepared the ground before the full commando assault began at about 7.25pm Irish time.

The offensive has apparently met little enemy resistance so far with reports of six Iraqis killed, 16 captured and one vehicle destroyed.

There were no reports of any US or British casualties.

:: Unconfirmed reports said US and UK forces have taken the strategic Iraqi border town of Umm Qasr north of Kuwait.

:: According to ITV News, sometime after 9pm elements of the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery crossed into Iraq.

Their mission was thought to be providing artillery cover as coalition forces moved towards Basra in the south in a bid to take the port and surrounding oil-fields.

:: Shortly after 1.15am GMT, there were unconfirmed reports of large explosions near Basra.

:: There were reports earlier of some explosions near Mosul in northern Iraq.

:: US troops have reportedly destroyed several Iraqi tanks and armoured vehicles in fighting near the Kuwaiti border.

:: A second wave of bombing hit Baghdad earlier in the night with reports that British submarines were involved in firing cruise missiles at the Iraqi capital.

Among the targets thought to have been hit were the Republican Guard headquarters in Baghdad.

:: US artillery bombardment pummelled Iraqi positions across the Kuwaiti border.

:: RAF Tornado GR4 and Harrier attack aircraft based at airfields in Kuwait were flying sorties over Iraq.

:: The Iraqis responded to the first limited US “decapitation” attacks by launching at least four missiles into northern Kuwait where British and US forces were massing. There were no reports of any Iraqi missiles hitting their targets.

:: Air-raid sirens sounded over Kuwait city at intervals during the day yesterday and after dark.

:: Coalition troops in the desert repeatedly scrambled to put on bio-chemical warfare protection during more alarms.

:: RAF Harriers were sent to hunt and destroy alleged Scud carrying lorries in southern Iraq although commanders reported no successes

:: Meanwhile, Iraq claimed it had repulsed an attack on an area bordering Jordan and further claimed it had shot down many of the cruise missiles launched at the country.