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US Planes Resume Bombing Afghanistan
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American B-52s strike Afghanistan again |
KABUL,
March 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – U.S. planes started intense
bombing of a suspected Al-Qaeda base in the eastern Afghanistan province of
Paktia early Saturday, as Afghan forces massed for a ground attack, the Afghan
Islamic Press (AIP) reported.
According
to an Afghan defense ministry official, U.S. B-52s began the air strikes Friday
evening in the region of Zurmat, in Paktia province, southwest of Gardez,
reported CNN’s online news service.
It
was the first reported U.S. bombing raid since a February 17 attack in eastern
Afghanistan to defend "friendly" Afghan forces, and came after the
Pentagon said Friday that hundreds of hostile fighters had gathered near Gardez,
reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The
new wave of bombing started around 10:00 am (0530 GMT) and was continuing in the
afternoon, the Pakistan-based news service said from Islamabad.
It
quoted well-informed sources in Gardez as saying that more than 500 fighters of
terror suspect Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network were concentrated in the hills
of Arma.
The
Pentagon had said it was unclear whether the fighters, massed near Gardez, were
Taliban or Al-Qaeda.
"We
don't know the make-up, but they're certainly not friendly," said Brigadier
General John Rosa, deputy director of current operations of the Joint Staff,
adding "We've observed, we've gathered intelligence but to this date, we
haven't acted."
Pentagon
spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said of the Gardez fighters "We're going to
pursue them." Some of the alleged Al-Qaeda fighters, including Arabs and
nationals of other countries, were believed to be living in the area with their
families, AIP said.
Local
council chief Haji Saifullah said the Al-Qaeda fighters had refused to
surrender.
"We had sent several delegations to foreigners hiding in Arma ahead of the
bombing runs to surrender peacefully but they refused," Saifullah told AIP.
He said no ground attack had yet been launched but heavy bombing was continuing.
"The thuds of heavy bombs could be heard in Gardez."
AIP
said more than 1,000 Afghan troops had reached the area for a possible ground
battle with the Al-Qaeda men. An Afghan commander, Wazir Khan Zadran, told AIP
by satellite telephone from the front line that at least 300 fighters under his
command were ready for an offensive, while an almost equal number of other
fighters had also reached the front line.
"We
have been imparted training by the Americans for this fighting," he said.
"We have not yet started the ground assault but the Al-Qaeda fighters were
firing mortars on us from the hills."
AIP
said two other important Afghan commanders, Sardar Khan and Zakeem Khan, armed
with about 500 soldiers each, were also in the area.
The
Afghans have been specially trained by U.S. military officers to tackle the
situation in Arma, the agency said, predicting a ground battle was imminent.
Zadran is a brother of warlord Padsha Khan, who last month had vowed to launch
an attack on Gardez to oust the newly appointed governor of Paktia. Tribal
strongman Khan has frequently accused his opponents of being Al-Qaeda fighters
or supporters.
Khan
was initially appointed governor of Paktia by interim leader Hamid Karzai, but
was subsequently rejected after he tried to take up his position by force in
clashes that left more than 50 people dead in late January.
Fighting
between rival warlords has underlined the fragility of the U.N.-backed interim
cabinet, as it tries to assert its control over the countryside, where ethnic
and tribal warlords still hold sway after the ousting of the Taliban.
The
United States launched a military campaign in Afghanistan on October 7,
overthrowing the Taliban government in Kabul and routing its Al-Qaeda
"guests" in reprisal for the September 11 attacks.
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