Opposition forces today claimed the capture of a district outside the strategic northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, while US warplanes resumed their bombing raids on Taliban frontline positions.

After four weeks of US bombing, a senior Taliban official said today that Afghan leaders were gearing up for a long war and challenged Washington to send in ground troops.

Four weeks into the US led air campaign, the Taliban say they won’t be easily defeated - and not because they are a sophisticated adversary. Quite the opposite.

The Taliban Cabinet have met in Kabul to discuss measures on how to cope with the increasing US air attacks.

Taliban rulers, vowing to ‘‘fight to the last’’ against those who side with the United States, today said they have sent thousands of troops to the border with Uzbekistan.