Afghan Air-raid dashes hopes of Ramadan truce

Reports from Afghanistan say there's been an air raid on the central town of Baniam, dashing hopes of a truce in the civil war during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The town is the regional stronghold of the Hezb-e-Whadat faction, which is part of the guerrilla alliance fighting the Taliban government.

The reports say about four bombs were dropped: one is believed to have hit a residential area and another the airport, although a United Nations plane carrying emergency food supplies was still able to land safely shortly afterwards.

The attack follows recent reports of clashes between Taleban and Hezb-e-Whadat forces further south; the BBC correspondent in Afghanistan says it appears to have put paid to any hope that the Taleban might agree to the Ramadan truce proposed by its opponents.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service