An Iraqi military spokesman said that warplanes twice violated Iraqi airspace.

"Five formations from the planes of the criminals renewed at 1417 (1117 GMT) their violation of our airspace ... north of Basra and fired two reckless rockets before fleeing," the Iraqi News Agency said.

This followed an incursion by four formations over the "demilitarised Kuwait area" at 0915 (0615 GMT), it said.

There has been no independent confirmation of the statement. The US and Britain have denied the claim.

It would have been the first military action since the four-night American-led aerial assault ended on Saturday.

Campaign 'successful'

As the fall-out from the attacks continues, the UK Government has rejected Iraqi suggestions that the air strikes failed.

The UK Defence Secretary, George Robertson, said there was increasing evidence that the air campaign had been successful.

"We know that we have done considerable damage to the war machine of Iraq," he said.

Mr Robertson said that foreign journalists in Baghdad were prevented by the Iraqi authorities from seeing what really happened, and that the appearance of normality showed that the strikes had been successful in avoiding civilian casualties.

In Iraq itself, United Nations aid workers and trucks headed back to resume their humanitarian work.

Russia has also announced that its Washington ambassador would return to the US on Wednesday.

He was recalled to Moscow on Thursday in protest at the bombardment.

The Russian ambassador to Britain, who was recalled at the same time, is likely to return to London soon, a Russian Government spokesman said.

A convoy of 100 United Nations trucks has already crossed the Jordanian border carrying urgently needed food supplies.

The BBC's Jeremy Bowen: Iraq claims it has been a victim of Western aggression

BBC Baghdad Correspondent Rageh Omaar says more than 20 million ordinary Iraqis depend on the aid.

The UN special envoy to Iraq, Prakash Shah, has Iraq's oil-for-food programme will resume fully.

More than 100 UN international aid staff were evacuated from the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday after two nights of bombing.

Their compound is very close to the security police headquarters, which was thought to be one of the main targets for the air raids.

Repair work

Damage in Qorna, a city south of Baghdad

Local staff from the UN children's agency are continuing to help repair the damage to two hospitals, affected by shock waves of nearby explosions during the air strikes.

There is still no accurate and final figure on the number of civilian casualties from the four nights of air strikes.

Margaret Hassan of Care International, speaking from Baghdad: The humanitarian situation is not improving

However, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has said that 62 military personnel had been killed and 180 wounded.

Diplomatic moves

Rob Watson in New York: The focus now returns to diplomacy

On the diplomatic front, a spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry has said progress in improving Russia-US relations over Iraq would depend on Washington making "real steps" in Russia's direction.

He also announced that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is expected to visit Moscow in January.

The spokesman for the Russian parliament, the Duma, has also said it intends to work towards approving the Start II treaty on nuclear arms reduction, which was put on hold after the air strikes.

The UN Security Council is due to resume talks on a new approach to relations with Iraq.

Tariq Aziz: "Civilian casualties are much, much higher than military casualties"

The US and Britain face a tough battle to get their way over how to continue the monitoring of Iraq's weapons systems.