New operation to destroy al Qaida

The US military has announced a sweeping new operation across troubled southern and eastern Afghanistan, with the aim of destroying al Qaida and Taliban infrastructure.

The announcement came as the Americans have been pressing their hunt for Osama bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, who are believed to be hiding out in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The operation, however, was "about more than one person", said Lt Col Bryan Hilferty, a US military spokesman.

He said American forces have "confidence" they will eventually catch the al Qaida leader, but not necessarily during the new operation.

Hilferty said US forces were involved at the moment in what he described as a "small scale air assault" in southern Afghanistan, but would not say where it was taking place or give details about the target.

The operation, dubbed Mountain Storm, officially began on Sunday and was open-ended, Hilferty said.

He said the entire 13,500-strong US-led coalition was involved, though he gave no specifics about their role.

He said the operation was in effect a continuation of tactics already being used, such as intensive patrolling, village searches and impromptu checkpoints.

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