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CNN Sunday Morning

U.S. Warplanes Rained Bombs on Kandahar

Aired October 28, 2001 - 07:01   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In southern Afghanistan, U.S. warplanes returned to the skies over Kandahar, raining down bombs after two days of relative quiet. CNN's Kamal Hyder is there and he joins us now by videophone.

Kamal, can you describe the conditions?

KAMAL HYDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this morning at 11:30, Allied bombers appeared above the skies of Kandahar. They were circling over the city. And then they dropped their payload west of the city. That's the Kandahar-Harat Highway. Probably military targets again.

They have been flying over Kandahar all day, in fact. In fact, a little while ago, we heard the roar of jets over Kandahar. They have been, of course, during -- possibly as people out here are now beginning to say reconnaissance for the day. And so, the residents of Kandahar are bracing themselves for another heavy night of attack.

We do not know at this moment whether this is a routine reconnaissance affair or whether they're going to be attacking this place tonight. But most of Kandahar, of course, apprehends that perhaps the heightened air activity is a prelude to an attack at night.

Another interesting thing, Kyra, is that these aircrafts are flying lower. Now, we couldn't see them primarily because the sun, you know, prevents -- I mean the sunshine here is just spectacular. So we could not see them but the sounds much loader and these aircrafts are barely flying much lower -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kamal, you mentioned the residents. How are they coping at this point? What are they telling you? And what are the living conditions like right now?

HYDER: Well, Kyra, the living conditions are becoming more and more difficult every day. Poor people are not able to afford the high prices of food here. And it is normally, in most cases, in Kandahar at this moment, is the poor people who have stayed behind.

Now, those people do not have adequate water supplies because the electricity pylons were blown away. And of course, the sanitation here is beginning to fail. There's a lot of flies here in Kandahar. And of course, authorities fear that it could lead to an outbreak of epidemic -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kamal Hyder, thank you for the latest from Kandahar.

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