KABUL (voa) – Leaders of Afghanistan’s interim government have initialed a deployment agreement with the British leaders of an international peacekeeping force formed to maintain security in the war-shattered country.
Authorities say the agreement, approved Monday in Kabul, allows the British-run International Security Assistance Force to begin deploying as soon as all countries contributing troops to the mission review the pact.
The VOA correspondent in Kabul says 4,500-5,000 peacekeepers, including staff, will come from 17 nations. Their authority will be limited to Kabul. He quotes military sources as saying that a substantial peacekeeping contingent should be patrolling the capital by mid-January.
In other developments, reports say bombing raids early Sunday by U.S. warplanes killed almost 100 people in eastern Afghanistan. The reports have not been confirmed and there was no immediate response from U.S. officials.
The Afghan Islamic Press says the attack destroyed many houses in Naizi Qala village in the Paktia region, about 20 kilometers north of Gardez. Reuters news agency reports that American troops were seen heading to the village at the invitation of a local tribal leader.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces have been questioning more of the suspected al-Qaida members they have in custody, seeking information about the whereabouts of accused terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
On Sunday, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said the Saudi-born militant is probably still in the country, but did not give any further details.
