About 1,000 US paratroopers from the173rd Airborne Brigade parachuted into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq under the cover of darkness while bombs continued to rain o­n Baghdad.

According to CNN today, military officials characterised the region where the drop occurred as "semi-permissive," meaning it was not hostile.

An airlift of elements of the US 1st Infantry Division, equipped with Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, followed the airborne drop and was in progress.

Coalition forces had hoped to transport vehicles and troops overland, but failed to reach an agreement with Turkey about using its bases and airspace.