The United States Defence Department has confirmed for the first time that it is using armed pilotless aircraft to attack targets which threaten American and British patrols over southern Iraq.

It says the drones - known as Predators - carry missiles which are used to attack a range of targets if Western coalition planes come under fire while enforcing the flight exclusion zone there.
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The Pentagon insists they are being used in Iraq purely to deal with air defence targets.

» US admits using drones over Iraq