Anti-aircraft fire opened up for a third time over the Afghan capital, Kabul, early this morning as residents heard aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said.
Kabul residents said they could hear Taliban artillery, anti-aircraft and small-arms fire in what sounded like an outbreak of fighting on the streets of the city. Electricity supplies were also cut, they said.
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President George W. Bush announcing that the US and Britain had started bombing Afghanistan
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The US and its allies finally launched anticipated attacks on Afghan Taliban targets yesterday, shortly after a nightly curfew went into effect. A second raid came less than five hours later followed by the third early this morning.
CNN also reported military strikes on the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar and near the airport of Jalalabad in the east.
"On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan," President Bush said.
"These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime," he said.
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A US defence official said cruise missiles struck terrorist camps, air bases and air defense installations in Afghanistan as the start of a series of military actions against the Taliban. "It's going to be shake and bake until we smoke them out," said the official.
At least two US aircraft-carrier battle groups are near Afghanistan, with two more on the way, along with a landing force of some 4,400 Marines and 350 military aircraft.
US and British special forces troops are also reportedly in the area, and unconfirmed press reports said they have already been scouting inside Afghanistan.
About 1,000 soldiers of the US Army's 10th Mountain Division are in neighboring Uzbekistan. A British task force of about 23,000 has also deployed to Oman for previously scheduled military exercises.
AFP