Key developments in the Iraq war

:: British officers said a “couple of thousand” Iraqi civilians tried to flee Basra, which is encircled by British troops, but were forced to return when Iraqi paramilitary forces opened fire with mortars and machine guns.

:: Two “bunker-buster” bombs were dropped on a communications tower in Baghdad during an intense US bombardment aimed at cutting off Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s commanders from Iraqi forces. They were the biggest bombs dropped on Baghdad so far.