Britain's first combat troops have landed in Afghanistan under cover of darkness to join US-led forces in pursuit of fleeing Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.
The 120 Royal Marines commandos who filed off two Hercules transport planes at the main coalition base just outside Kabul were the forerunners of a total British force of 1,700 commandos, Royal Engineers and other support personnel.
Their arrival, amidst clouds of dust kicked up by the planes, marked the start of Britain's largest combat deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.
It was also a symbol of Britain's determination to stay the course with America in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and members of his al-Qaeda network blamed for the September 11th attacks on US cities.