TV station claims refugees hit

TV reports coming out of Afghanistan say US bombs have struck two buses carrying refugees.

Al-Jazeera television is showing pictures of the apparent bomb damage.

No casualty figures are being given but the pictures indicate civilian areas have been struck around Kandahar.

There are also reports a hospital has been hit.

US jets briefly eased bombardment of Kabul due to the Muslim holy day.

Other attacks hit Kandahar, the Taliban's southern headquarters, and Jalalabad, one of several provinces where Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida organisation has outposts.

Daylight brought a break in the bombing in Kabul. Families living near Taliban military sites in the city rushed to take advantage of the lull, moving belongings and children away from the likely targets of more strikes.

In Washington, a US official confirmed special forces are now on the ground in southern Afghanistan.

The handful of US special-forces troops are supporting intelligence work in the south, working to undermine the Taliban regime.

In Pakistan, the Taliban Embassy's spokesman says Afghanistan's Islamic leaders have no information American ground troops have arrived.