The British Ministry of Defence will not confirm reports of an SAS firefight with Taliban troops near Kabul.
There have been press reports that a four-man SAS team, which had been in Afghanistan for five days, was fired upon in the foothills after disturbing Taliban soldiers.
The Ministry of Defence has refused to confirm or deny any rumours regarding "operational matters".
The British Sunday Times and the Mail newspapers today both reported the SAS team had escaped unhurt.
A ministry of defence spokesman told the BBC: "There is a lot of speculative material floating around. We never discuss matters pertaining to the special forces.
"At the moment, Britain is in the phase of looking at what assistance we can offer to the US if they decide to take military action. That is where the bulk of our efforts lies."