Cavalry in Gulf sandstorm Click here for full story

The Pentagon claims "thousands" of prisoners have been taken as coalition forces - with tanks of the Queen's Dragoon Guards scouting routes of advance - tighten their grip on Iraq's second city.

It is claimed 8,000 troops of Iraq's 51st Infantry Division may have surrendered to US marines advancing towards Basra.

Troops of the largely Welsh Queen's Dragoon Guards, also known as the Welsh Cavalry, are building prisoner-of-war camps in southern areas of the country which are now controlled by US and UK forces.

1st QUEEN'S DRAGOON GUARDS History:- Has roots in units formed by James II in 1685 Modern regiment formed in January 1959 Comprises troops from Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire Duty:- Ypres, 1914-15 Somme, 1916-18 Afghanistan, 1914 El Alamein Kosovo, 1999 Tearful send-off for troops Soldiers head for Gulf

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "We are conscious about how we treat prisoners-of-war and that their treatment is in line with the Geneva Convention."

Meanwhile, the advance of 1,500 Turkish commandos into northern Iraq has been called "rather chilling" by the Cynon Valley MP, Ann Clwyd, a veteran campaigner on behalf of the Kurds.

Threat

Turkey says the use of its forces is necessary to secure its borders and to "prevent terrorism".

But Ms Clwyd, who visited the Kurdish-held area of northern Iraq three weeks ago, said Turkey should withdraw its forces as there was no threat to its sovereignty.

Ann Clwys describes Turkish move as 'chilling'

She told the BBC: "There is no military or terrorist threat to the Turks - I just find that a very poor reason for crossing the border once again into northern Iraq and de-stabilising the area.

"The Kurds seem to fear the Turks almost as much as {they fear} Saddam Hussein.

"Maybe also Syria and Iran might also think they've got a reason for coming in - I think it's a very bad move and Turkey should retreat."

The wider coalition advance comes as rear-guard elements of the Welsh Cavalry have been deployed to build fence-lined camps with feeding and medical facilities for the Iraqi prisoners.

Conditions

The PoW camps are large in size, taking coalition forces "quite a while" to build, an MoD spokeswoman said.

Conditions in the desert are said to be very hot but the sand storms of recent days have abated.

Parents' war worry

The Welsh Cavalry's Scimitar tanks were part of the initial operation to secure a beachhead on the coast of the Gulf close to Iran.

They were said on Saturday to be spearheading a route north toward Basra, from where troops may push further north to Baghdad.

About 2,000 service men and women from Wales are stationed in the region, providing a range of frontline and back-up expertise as part of the US-led coalition to oust the Iraqi regime.

Legality

But the Labour peer and historian Lord Morgan of Aberdyfi has called into question the legality of the war in Iraq.

Professor Kenneth Morgan said the conflict runs counter to Labour's fundamental values and traditions.

Click here for key Iraq maps

He said: "The fact that Saddam's regime kills thousands does not in any way justify similar actions on our part."

Soldiers' relatives admit to a "nerve-wracking" wait for news and many have urged the public to get behind UK troops.

But demonstrations against the war have continued with a 24-hour vigil underway in Bangor and anti-war campaigners saying they are to take part in a protest in London.

Around 700 peace marchers have brought the centre of Aberystwyth in to a standstill.

March

The march on the mid Wales coastal town was arranged by CND Cymru and includes pensioners and children.

Welsh Assembly members who have spoken out in favour of the war have been warned they may be targeted by anti-war protesters.

The National Assembly's Presiding Office said they may face physical damage to their property, and urged them to be vigilant.

The Muslim community in Wales has expressed its sadness at the start of the military campaign.

And the seven bishops of the Church in Wales have also called for prayer and reflection in response to the hostilities against Iraq.