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Afghan Caves Hit With Pressure Bombs
Saturday, March 2, 2002
(23:42 GMT)
The BBC

Pakistan has sealed off a 100km (60 mile) stretch of its nearby border to stop militants escaping.

The US forces have dropped two devastating high-pressure blast bombs on suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda positions in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan after a ground offensive ran into difficulty.

US defence sources said two 2,000-pound (907-kg) "thermobaric" bombs, which send suffocating blasts through cave complexes, were aimed at mountain caves where enemy fighters were hiding.

Afghan troops and US special forces fighting in the area had to pull back on Saturday after encountering heavy resistance. One US soldier and two Afghan allies were killed.

The fighting took place about 30 kilometres (20 miles) east of Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, and is said to be the biggest US-led ground operation of the whole Afghan campaign.

Thermobaric bombs were tested by the US in December and officials said in January that they would be rushed to Afghanistan for the campaign to root out supporters of Saudi-born dissident Osama Bin Laden.

Laser-guided, it is filled with a special explosive mixture that creates a high-pressure blast, driving all of the air out of a cave and potentially choking those inside.
(More: BBC Online News Source)
2002 © The British Broadcasting Corporation.

Dan