Jets target Jalalabad

Three powerful explosions rocked the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad today as a jet streaked across the sky and dropped at least three bombs.

Taliban gunners responded with anti-aircraft fire.

The explosions appeared to come from the western edge of the city, which has been the subject of sustained US-led strikes over the past week.

It was not clear what Taliban military installations were in that area. But in the mountains that lie to the west of Jalalabad, it is believed Osama bin Laden and his al Qaida organisation operate terrorism camps.

Today’s raid was the first since Friday in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, where bin Laden is believed to have several camps south, southwest, west and east of the city.

When he came to Afghanistan in 1996 with 180 of his followers, bin Laden settled in Tora Bora, a mountain base about 60 miles southwest of the city.

People were still on the streets in the minutes after the strikes.

Meanwhile, a lone plane dropped three bombs in the northwestern part of Kabul today, three hours after a dawn attack dropped another bomb nearby.

The ruling Taliban claimed 12 people were killed in another strike in northern Afghanistan.

In the second Kabul strike, at about 9.30am (6am Irish time)), Taliban gunners responded again with anti-aircraft fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

But in a separate strike today, in Badgus province in western Afghanistan, the Taliban said 12 people died and 32 were wounded. The claim came from Taliban Information Ministry officials in Kabul.

No further information was immediately available, and the claims could not be independently verified.