AFGHANISTAN (voa) – U.S. warplanes are pounding suspected al-Qaida and Taleban positions in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan after coalition ground forces ran into unexpected heavy resistance.
In the largest military campaign in Afghanistan this year, 1,500 Afghan, U.S., and coalition troops are fighting to dislodge hundreds of al-Qaida and Taleban fighters dug into mountain tunnels and cave complexes in Paktia province outside the town of Gardez.
U.S. Army Major A.C. Roper says fighting on the ground has been intense since U.S. warplanes first pounded anti-aircraft artillery sites, mortars, caves, and vehicles on Friday.
Several coalition countries are taking part in the operation, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and Norway.
The U.S. military says one American soldier and three Afghan fighters were killed, and an unspecified number of U.S. and Afghan troops wounded. The number of al-Qaida and Taleban casualties is not known.
Pakistan says its military has sealed off its northwestern border with Afghanistan to block the escape of Taleban and al-Qaida fighters.
Saturday, U.S. warplanes dropped for the first time a newly-developed bomb designed to suffocate inhabitants of underground bunkers.
