A US Army helicopter has made a hard landing in eastern Afghanistan, injuring 14 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division.

United States forces today intensified their hunt for Osama bin Laden, even as Afghanistan’s interim prime minister declared that terrorism had been ‘‘largely’’ beaten in his war-ravaged country.

A dozen Russian ransport planes have landed at Bagram airport outside Kabul where British marines have been stuck for more than a week.

US jets have dive-bombed Taliban positions on the front line north of the Afghan capital.