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U.S. Planes Attack Kabul in Early Saturday
U.S.-led forces launched air strikes at the Afghan capital of Kabul for the sixth consecutive night starting at the small hours of Saturday, according to reports reaching here.
The strikes started around 3:00 hours (local time) with jets dropping heavy bombs while Taliban anti-aircraft batteries went into operation.
Explosions jolted Kabul. "From my house I could see a bomb land on the airport, I saw a fireball, debris flying up into the sky and the initial big fire then dimming," one witness was quoting as saying.
In London, a defense ministry spokesman said Saturday that the US-led coalition has launched a fresh wave of military operations in Afghanistan.
"I can confirm there is coalition activity. British forces are involved in a support role," the spokesman said. He could not give details of what kind of military operations were underway.
U.S.-led forces gave weary Afghans a short respite for the Muslim day of prayer on Friday after a fifth night of bombing brought the ruling Taliban's death toll estimate to nearly 300.
U.S. President George W. Bush said on October 11 that he would "reconsider" the military attacks if the Taliban handed over to the United States Osama bin Laden who is the most wanted suspect for the September 11 terror strikes in New York and Washington.
The Taliban rejected President Bush's demand. Taliban envoy to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Satam Zaeef told the press in Islamabad on October 12 that "even if we fulfil all the demands of Bush, he will not stop strikes because his motives are totally different" as the U.S. plan was to take control of natural resources in Central Asia and that bin Laden was not the real target.
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