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As bombs fell near the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on the third night of US-led air raids the US Defense Secretary said US-led forces were ready to start "round-the-clock" strikes.
As the raids were being carried out, the US Defense Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld warned "we are now able to carry out strikes more or less around-the-clock as we wish," Mr Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon press conference. "We have struck most of the airfields, I believe all but one," Mr Rumsfeld said.
This evening an official of the ruling Taliban, Mr Maulvi Mohammad Akhtar Usmani, said Taliban troops opened fire with anti-aircraft guns on the attacking planes but did not hit them. He said he had no reports so far of any casualties or damage from the raid.
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The official, Mr Maulvi Mohammad Akhtar Usmani, said he had no reports so far of any casualties or damage from the raid.
Earlier the Taliban confirmed Osama bin Laden is living in Afghanistan having survived the military strikes which began on Sunday night.
The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Mr Abdul Salam Zaeef, told CNN bin Laden had escaped injury during the US-led aerial bombardment of the past two days.
Mr Zaeef said "tens of people have been killed" in attacks since Sunday night against the cities of Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kkunduz.
"In this freestyle game Washington is aiming firstly to hunt the sitting Islamic government in Afghanistan and then every committed Muslim, in the name of terrorism," said Mr Zaeef.
The Taliban vowed this morning to defend its Islamic state against attacks as US-led air strikes pounded targets for a second straight day, Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported.
US forces attacked the southern city of Kandahar this morning after overnight bombardment of the spiritual headquarters of the Islamic movement.
"This morning three American aircraft tried to attack Kandahar again but our anti-aircraft guns forced them to flee," a Taliban spokesman said. "Our defence will continue".
Defiant after two nights of US strikes, Afghanistan's hardline Taliban rulers today vowed to sacrifice two million lives to protect their independence.
Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Mr Abdul Salam Zaeef said the US was using terrorism to set up a government that would allow it to control the trade in oil and gas from Central Asian.
"We are determined to offer two million more martyrs for independence and sovereignty if need be," he told a news conference in Islamabad. "In this unipolar world Washington cannot tolerate our independent nature."
By establishing a surrogate government in Afghanistan, America would control political set ups and natural resources in the region, he said and urged all Muslims to help Afghanistan in its fight against the world's sole superpower.
Earlier, anti-aircraft fire in the sky over Kabul signalled the start of a second night of attacks by the US and British coalition. As the new wave of strikes began, the Taliban insisted previous strikes had missed their mark.
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Afghans clear rubble of a house in Kabul hit by US missiles
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The opposition Northern Alliance launched a big attack last night on the Taliban position near Dara-e-Suf in the northern Samangan province. Earlier, it began moving Scud missiles south toward Kabul.
- British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair's war cabinet began its first meeting.
Six cabinet ministers, and Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, arrived at No 10 Downing Street in London for the meeting, which began at 9.30 a.m.
AFP, AP, PA