Afghanistan agrees that the US bombing campaign should continue until the last pockets of al-Qaeda and Taliban resistance are crushed, the defence ministry said today.
"We agree with (US President George W.) Bush that the campaign will continue until the last remaining pockets of terrorism have been eliminated," ministry spokesman Mohammad Habeel told AFP.
Mr Habeel said some districts in the eastern province of Paktia "have not been yet totally cleared, so the bombardment and our ground attack should continue until they are eliminated". The announcement signalled an apparent reassessment by the ministry.
On Friday Mr Habeel had said the last pockets of resistance from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda fighters should be crushed within three to four days.
"Afterwards we will see if there is a need for (a bombing continuation) or not," he said at the time.
The Pentagon said later on Friday it would not rule out continuing the US bombing even if Afghanistan's interim government were to ask for a halt.
"We're not going to stop until we get him (bin Laden) and all those murderers that are associated with him," said President George W. Bush.
The Afghan Islamic Pressreported yeserday that US warplanes overnight pounded the village of Shekhan in eastern Paktia province.
Mr Habeel said today that "the main target of the campaign is to end terrorism and it will definitely continue until we achieve our aim".
He repeated defence ministry claims that alleged terrorist mastermind bin Laden is using the Pakistani border town of Peshawar as a base.
"He is definitely in Peshawar under the protection of (militant party Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam head) Fazelur Rahman," Mr Habeel said.
"Our intelligence is absolutely accurate, we even have the names of those Taliban commanders who helped Osama to get to the other side of the border," he said. Mr Jamiat has denied the claim.
Mr Habeel said Afghanistan should no longer be held responsible for arresting bin Laden.
"We are no longer responsible, he has already left our country. From now on this is the responsibility of the Pakistani government. It must co-operate with the US in arresting Osama."
He added: "Pakistan can help the US in this regard if it really wants to do so."
AFP