US-led forces are coming under heavy fire as they advance towards suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda bunkers in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan.
Commander Abdul Muteen said days of US bombing seemed to have softened up their opponents, allowing US-led Afghan forces to resume their ground offensive. "The Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters have become very weak. They are running out of ammunition," said Mr Muteen. "The bombing has stopped and our soldiers with some US advisers have advanced to within 100 metres of some rebel caves and bunkers," he told Reuters. But he said the fighting remained fierce.
The ground attack, the biggest of the five-month-old Afghan War, codenamed "Operation Anaconda", had been on hold for nearly 24 hours to allow US bombing of the suspected mountain hideouts by B-52s and F-16 jets, and strafing by attack helicopters.
Eight US soldiers have been killed in the operation, including six who died when a Chinook helicopter was shot down yesterday.