Week Three October 21-27

The US steps up its attacks on Taleban positions to the north of Kabul and around the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in an effort to assist the Northern Alliance.

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Saturday 27 October

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Heavy raids after US admits error

The Red Cross said the buildings were clearly marked

US warplanes resumed heavy bombing of Kabul. It followed an admission by the Pentagon that its planes "inadvertently dropped bombs" on Red Cross warehouses and on a nearby residential area in the Afghan capital. It is the second time Red Cross depots have been hit since air raids began on 7 October.

 The BBC's Jonathan Charles reports

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Friday 26 October

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Taleban opponent executed

Afghan opposition figure Abdul Haq in 1992

The Afghan opposition commander Abdul Haq has been executed by the Taleban, according to the Northern Alliance and his family. Commander Haq had been widely expected to be a key figure in any post-Taleban administration in Afghanistan.

 The BBC's Brian Hanrahan reports

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Thursday 25 October

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Northern Alliance wants more bombing

Northern Alliance fighters on the front line at Bagram are just 18km from Kabul

The main Afghan opposition group, the Northern Alliance, has called on the Americans to drop more bombs on the Taleban. It says it will not advance towards Kabul until the attacks intensify. After 5 days of air attacks north of Kabul, senior US commanders admit they are finding the Taleban tougher opponents than they had expected.

 The BBC's David Loyn reports

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Wednesday 24 October

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Heavy raids on Taleban positions

An F14 'Tomcat' aircraft on the USS Carl Vinson

American aircraft carry out some of their heaviest raids so far on Taleban positions north of Kabul. Jets repeatedly bomb Taleban troops around Bagram airfield. The Pentagon admits a one thousand pound bomb missed its target and instead hit a field close to an Afghan elderly people's home.

 The BBC's John Simpson reports

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Tuesday 23 October

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Terrorist camps destroyed

A Northern Alliance soldier on the frontline near Kabul

Military attacks on Afghanistan have destroyed nine terrorist training camps and severely damaged 24 military garrisons, according to the UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon. American jets continue to attack Taleban troop positions north of Kabul, and strike targets near the city of Kandahar.

 The BBC's John Simpson reports

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Monday 22 October

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Aircraft pound Taleban troops

An S-3B Viking launches from USS Carl Vinson

American aircraft pound Taleban troops north of the Afghan capital - Kabul - and the key town of Mazar-i-Sharif. Opposition Afghan forces are hoping to capture the cities. The Pentagon says there is no evidence to support claims that aircraft bombed a hospital in the city of Herat, killing more than 100 people.

 The BBC's David Shukman reports

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Sunday 21 October

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US attacks Taleban front line

Several civilians were reported killed in Kabul

US war planes have targeted Taleban front line positions north of Kabul. The Taleban claim the raids have resulted in heavy civilian casualties. An Afghan doctor has confirmed to the BBC that the 10-year-old son of the Taleban leader Mullah Omar has died from injuries received during an earlier air raid on Kandahar.

 The BBC's Jonathan Charles reports