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Second Strike Hits Zawar Kili Compound; 'Aggressive' Search On for Bin Laden, Omar
Friday, January 4, 2002
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
U.S. B-52 and B-1 bombers, F-18 fighters and AC-130 gunships struck a suspected Al Qaeda regrouping point -- the Zawar Kili compound southwest of Khowst -- for the second time in two days Jan. 4.

U.S. aircraft struck the Al Qaeda terrorist group compound because military officials observed "some activity" at the site. Historically the
compound is known as a place the Al Qaeda would go to regroup. U.S. Central Command officials ordered the restrike after they observed continued activity, said Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke. No battle damage assessment was yet available, she added.

U.S. and coalition forces had previously attacked the compound in November. It was also struck by U.S. cruise missiles in 1998 following terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Coalition and anti-Taliban forces continue searching for Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammed Omar, Clarke told reporters. "We're certainly trying to get them," she stressed. "We're using all sorts of resources to try to make that happen – working with the interim government, working with the anti-Taliban forces, people on the ground."

Asked if U.S. officials have information on Omar's whereabouts, Clarke repeated comments Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had made at a news briefing yesterday. "If we have information about where we think he might be, it would be foolish to say we think he's there, because then he probably would not be there," she said.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Dan