A US military base was attacked by rockets today as ground fighting resumed in the biggest US-led ground attack of the Afghan war on Taliban and al-Qaeda forces.
This morning's rocket attack was on a US base near the city of Khost, about 70 kilometres southeast of Gardez.
Khost Shura (Ccouncil) spokesman Mr Kamal Wazir said the airport was hit by two rockets and fire from men armed with Kalashnikov rifles. "The firing went on for five minutes from 10.20 p.m. (Irish Time)," Mr Wazir told Reuters.
"Shortly after the attack a US plane bombed the site of the firing," he said. "Our troops also rushed to the area but the gunmen had escaped".
There were other signs of revived Taliban and al-Qaeda action in eastern provinces adjacent to the front line near Gardez, capital of Paktia province, 150 kilometres from Kabul and 32 kilometres from the fighting.
Unconfirmed reports said that Canadian, Australian, Danish, German and French forces and planes had joined US soldiers in the operation around Gardez that started early on Saturday morning.
The Washington Postreported that upwards of 1,000 US and other Western military personnel were deployed near Gardez.
Today, US warplanes launched fierce bombing raids on the area around the high-altitude village of Shahi Kot where Afghan soldiers said either hundreds or thousands of al Qaeda and Taliban forces are in bunkers and caves.
B-52s and F-16 fighters dropped bombs and plumes of smoke and machine gun fire were heard from the area.
Fierce resistance from rebel forces repulsed the US-led offensive on Saturday, forcing Afghan fighters and US advisers to withdraw close to Gardez. One US soldier and five Afghan troops have died and there have been about 20 wounded so far.