Military

DATE=1/6/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=AFGHANISTAN / U-S BOMBINGS (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-284934

BYLINE=ALISHA RYU

DATELINE=KHOST, EASTERN AFGHANISTAN

INTERNET=

CONTENT=

VOICED AT=

INTRO: U-S warplanes Sunday continued to target suspected remnants of Osama

bin Laden's Al-Qaida network in eastern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and his Taleban sponsor Mohammed Omar remain a mystery. Details from V-O-A's Alisha Ryu in Paktia province near the Pakistan border.

TEXT: U-S warplanes roared across the skies over Paktia province early

Sunday morning, reportedly on bombing runs in pursuit of Al-Qaida members

still believed to be hiding near the Pakistan border in eastern Afghanistan.

For the past four days, B-52 bombers and smaller jets have been targeting

the mountains near the town of Khost after U-S special forces on the ground

spotted Al-Qaida activity. The Pentagon believes members of Osama bin

Laden's terrorist organization are trying to regroup and plan more attacks

from their hideouts in Paktia province.

On Friday, a Green Beret soldier was killed after an exchange of fire in the

area. The soldiers death was the first U-S military casualty by enemy fire

since the war against terrorism in Afghanistan began in earnest in early

October.

A local military commander, Kalem Khan, says Al-Qaida members have recently

been seen moving in and out of Khost.

/// KHAN ACT IN PASHTUN EST. AND FADE UNDER ///

We know that Al-Qaida men have been moving back and forth from here to the

mountains near the Pakistan border, the commander says. But he says he has

no idea how big the group is.

But Mr. Khan says that Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has never been in

the area with his fighters. On Thursday, the U-S launched a massive air

strike on a compound near Khost after intelligence reports suggested that

the world's most wanted fugitive was there.

Meanwhile, Taleban leader Mohammed Omar's apparent escape from the Baghran

region in southern Afghanistan is frustrating authorities in Kabul.

Interim government leader, Hamid Karzai, told reporters Sunday that he did

not know where the fundamentalist cleric was. But he says anti-Taleban and

government forces in the south are determined to arrest him as soon as he is

located. (Signed)

NEB/AR/RH