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CNN Live Today

Afghanistan Firefight

Aired January 28, 2003 - 11:09   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the battle that's raging in the mountains of southern Afghanistan. The military calls this the largest action since Operation Anaconda last spring. U.S. troops and coalition forces are battling dozens of rebels near the Pakistan border.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now live from Kabul, Afghanistan. He's got the very latest -- Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.

Yes, U.S. aircraft have been pounding a cave complex, a very extensive complex, near mountains, near the town of Spin Boldak (ph) in southern Afghanistan, close to the Pakistan border. They've been pounding this area for the last 24 hours now. The target is a 100- strong contingent of fighters, rebel fighters, loyal to Gulbadin Hekmatyar (ph). Hekmatyar (ph), as you'll remember, is a renegade warlord, and he has now returned to Afghanistan, and has allied himself with ex-Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters, and has declared a holy war against American forces here, who he considers an occupation force.

The bombing campaign, the bombing phase of this action may be winding down now. From what we understand, the U.S. military commanders have told us 350 U.S. troops are now on the ground. They'll looking to consolidate their position there, and in the coming hours are expected to comb through this area, looking in the caves for straggling fighters, and also for any other information that they can glean about these units.

Earlier in the day, Colonel Roger King, a spokesman for U.S. forces here in Afghanistan, talked to us about the casualty toll so far and told us a little bit about that operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. ROGER KING, U.S. ARMY: At least 18 enemy personnel have been killed. No coalition casualties have been reported. A total of 19 J-DAMs, which are 2,000-pound bombs, were dropped by the B-1s during the course of yesterday evening and last night. Two GBU-12s, which were 500-pound guided bombs, were dropped by F-16s from the European partners air forces, and there were repeated gun engagements by the AC-130 and the AH-64 Apaches.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: This is in fact the biggest U.S. military engagement here in Afghanistan since the so-called Operation Anaconda. That was in March last year. That in fact, though, was a much, much larger operation, about 1,500 American troops involved in Operation Anaconda. This is significantly smaller than that. Nevertheless, it is a significant operation. U.S. military commanders are telling us, and it is also a major effort to wipe out these guerrilla units that are now hanging out and launching border raids in the areas close to Pakistan. The U.S. military commanders have told us the save complex is much more extensive than they originally thought, sandbags for protection, netted for camouflage from aircraft flying overhead.

And commanders have told us that this operation will go on in the coming days. They've said that they will go on for as long as it takes to eradicate this unit -- Leon.

PENHAUL: Thank you very much, Karl. Karl Penhaul, reporting for us live once again from Kabul, Afghanistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 28, 2003 - 11:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the battle that's raging in the mountains of southern Afghanistan. The military calls this the largest action since Operation Anaconda last spring. U.S. troops and coalition forces are battling dozens of rebels near the Pakistan border.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now live from Kabul, Afghanistan. He's got the very latest -- Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.

Yes, U.S. aircraft have been pounding a cave complex, a very extensive complex, near mountains, near the town of Spin Boldak (ph) in southern Afghanistan, close to the Pakistan border. They've been pounding this area for the last 24 hours now. The target is a 100- strong contingent of fighters, rebel fighters, loyal to Gulbadin Hekmatyar (ph). Hekmatyar (ph), as you'll remember, is a renegade warlord, and he has now returned to Afghanistan, and has allied himself with ex-Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters, and has declared a holy war against American forces here, who he considers an occupation force.

The bombing campaign, the bombing phase of this action may be winding down now. From what we understand, the U.S. military commanders have told us 350 U.S. troops are now on the ground. They'll looking to consolidate their position there, and in the coming hours are expected to comb through this area, looking in the caves for straggling fighters, and also for any other information that they can glean about these units.

Earlier in the day, Colonel Roger King, a spokesman for U.S. forces here in Afghanistan, talked to us about the casualty toll so far and told us a little bit about that operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. ROGER KING, U.S. ARMY: At least 18 enemy personnel have been killed. No coalition casualties have been reported. A total of 19 J-DAMs, which are 2,000-pound bombs, were dropped by the B-1s during the course of yesterday evening and last night. Two GBU-12s, which were 500-pound guided bombs, were dropped by F-16s from the European partners air forces, and there were repeated gun engagements by the AC-130 and the AH-64 Apaches.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: This is in fact the biggest U.S. military engagement here in Afghanistan since the so-called Operation Anaconda. That was in March last year. That in fact, though, was a much, much larger operation, about 1,500 American troops involved in Operation Anaconda. This is significantly smaller than that. Nevertheless, it is a significant operation. U.S. military commanders are telling us, and it is also a major effort to wipe out these guerrilla units that are now hanging out and launching border raids in the areas close to Pakistan. The U.S. military commanders have told us the save complex is much more extensive than they originally thought, sandbags for protection, netted for camouflage from aircraft flying overhead.

And commanders have told us that this operation will go on in the coming days. They've said that they will go on for as long as it takes to eradicate this unit -- Leon.

PENHAUL: Thank you very much, Karl. Karl Penhaul, reporting for us live once again from Kabul, Afghanistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com