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US bombs Bagram, Kandahar city in pre-dawn raid
Two waves of US jets raided the Afghan city of Kandahar and Bagram early on Wednesday, dropping bombs with plumes of smoke visible for kilometres (miles) around.
Two waves of US jets raided the Afghan city of Kandahar and Bagram early on Wednesday, dropping bombs with plumes of smoke visible for kilometres (miles) around.
``It was huge, the whole building was shaking,`` a news reporter said. The first planes roared through the sky before dawn, swiftly followed by the sound of small explosions and firing while the second set of jets flew over the city, the stronghold of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.
It was not possible to determine the location of the strike or any damage or casualties because the city, like other Afghan towns, is under curfew. Meanwhile, a special unit of Northern Alliance fighters have been pulled back from northern Afghanistan to their base in the Panjshir Valley. Troops from the Zerbeti, a special forces unit, returned to their base camp at Jabal Saraj, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Kabul, raising speculation that an attack on the capital may be imminent. Kandahar has been the target of almost daily US bombing raids in Washington`s war on terrorism aimed at punishing the Taliban and flushing out Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. As the US bombardment of frontline Taliban positions intensifies, Northern Alliance troops are taking advantage of the lull in ground fighting to rest and prepare for further advances. Bureau Report
``It was huge, the whole building was shaking,`` a news reporter said. The first planes roared through the sky before dawn, swiftly followed by the sound of small explosions and firing while the second set of jets flew over the city, the stronghold of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.
It was not possible to determine the location of the strike or any damage or casualties because the city, like other Afghan towns, is under curfew. Meanwhile, a special unit of Northern Alliance fighters have been pulled back from northern Afghanistan to their base in the Panjshir Valley. Troops from the Zerbeti, a special forces unit, returned to their base camp at Jabal Saraj, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Kabul, raising speculation that an attack on the capital may be imminent. Kandahar has been the target of almost daily US bombing raids in Washington`s war on terrorism aimed at punishing the Taliban and flushing out Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. As the US bombardment of frontline Taliban positions intensifies, Northern Alliance troops are taking advantage of the lull in ground fighting to rest and prepare for further advances. Bureau Report