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CNN Live Today

U.S. Forces Continue Hunt for al Qaeda, Taliban

Aired June 03, 2002 - 14:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In eastern Afghanistan, U.S. ground forces are involved in an explosive hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the mountains along the Pakistan border. CNN's Mike Boettcher is there and he has this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 150 airborne troops made the surprise assault at sunrise Sunday morning. Their objective: a suspected al Qaeda camp located in eastern Afghanistan, less than a mile from Pakistan. Cautiously, soldiers from Bravo company of the 101st Airborne's second battalion, 187th Infantry, approached the suspected al Qaeda camp.

Intelligence reports indicated more than a dozen al Qaeda were using the base, known as the Gorko camp. But if the al Qaeda were here, they had left before Bravo company arrived. A search of several caves at the camp turned up papers written in Arabic, that are now being analyzed.

After the search, the caves were blown by Bravo company's demolition team.

(on camera): Even though Bravo company did not encounter any Taliban or al Qaeda at the Gorko camp, they do believe they accomplished an important mission: denying those two groups an important infiltration route.

Mike Boettcher, CNN, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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