A column of Iraqi tanks and armoured personnel carriers poured south out of the Iraqi city of Basra this evening and came under attack from US-led forces, a British military spokesman said.
"There is an armoured column that came out of the south-east of Basra down the Al Fao Peninsula and it has been engaged. We have no battle damage information," the spokesman said.
Asked about the size of the column, which some reports put at up to 120-strong, he said: "That has got to be an estimate."