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U.S. Renews Paktia Attack
Monday, March 04, 2002
The New York Times & USA Today

Residents of nearby Zormat said nearly 1,000 Islamicist fighters took refuge in the town for about a month starting late November. The local population, who feared US bombing, told them to move into the mountains.

ZORMAT, Afghanistan -- NYT/USAT
US bombers and Apache gunships pounded 11000 foot-high mountains near the village of Shah-i-Kot in Paktia province on Sunday and Monday after regro-uped Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces beat back a weekend offensive dubbed the biggest of the war.

Six US soldiers were killed when their helicopter was shot down in the attack on Monday, reported CNN. A seventh soldier was killed in another firefight.

US aircraft went after vehicles, mortars, troops and caves to renew the offensive. US helicopters ferried supplies to US and other troops as the bombs sent plumes of smoke in the air above the snowcapped mountains.

Western officials say several hundred Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters have been gathering for weeks in the region outside Gardez in eastern Afghanistan. Af-ghans said there could be as many as 5000 people in the mountains.

"They are hoping they will find an important cache of senior Al Qaeda people there," said Lieutenant Colonel Willard Moore of the US Army.

At least one US soldier and five Afghan troops died on the weekend. An Afghan commander, Noorullah, said he had seen a second American die on Saturday but this was not confirmed by Washington. Afghan commander Abdul Matin said his forces were waiting for US bombing to soften opposing forces "to make sure they are crushed before we move in."
(More: Hindustan Times News Source)
2002 © The New York Times & USA Today.

Dan