Northern Alliance forces have captured a series of small towns in the North and West of Afghanistan but have been warned by the US and UK not to push on to Kabul.

The successes of the Northern Alliance troops means that the Taliban now controls only half of Afghanistan. Although Taliban commanders insist their withdrawal was a "strategic retreat", it is clear they have suffered heavy casualties.

Defence secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed officially for the first time yesterday that British troops are now engaged in the fighting.