Osama bin Laden, on the run from the US led coalition against terrorism, is believed to be with ‘‘friends’’ of a Pakistani religious party leader, an Afghanistan government official said today.

US intelligence officers are preparing to interrogate 20 suspected al-Qaida fighters captured after they fled the Afghan mountains.

Osama bin Laden is believed to be with "friends" of a Pakistani religious party leader, says an official in Afghanistan's interim government.

Authorities in Pakistan arrested hundreds of militant Muslims and sealed an entire city today after leaders of an influential Islamic political party vowed to attack an air base where US personnel were said to be working.

Police and paramilitary troops fired tear gas today to repel hundreds of angry militant Muslims marching on a southern Pakistani air base where US personnel are reportedly working, the authorities said.