AFGHANISTAN: US military operation underway

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Att.Editors: The following item is from the Qatar News Agency (QNA)

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Mar 20 2003 (IPS) - A US military operation is under way in southern Afghanistan, with the aim of searching villages and suspected hideouts of al Qaida, a US military spokesman said today.

There were no details immediately available about the operation which is in the area of Kandahar, the former spiritual headquarters of the Taliban.

I do not have anything to say about the Kandahar operation at this time, said Col. Roger King, US army spokesman. He confirmed it was underway, but he would not give any more details.

There have been increased attacks on Afghan government posts in southern Afghanistan in recent weeks.