Allies 'hit Afghan militants'

Troops have been ferried by helicopter to the fighting

There are unconfirmed reports that hundreds of coalition soldiers have launched a large operation in eastern Afghanistan.

They are said to be targeting Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters in the mountains in Paktia province.

Afghan fighters have been backing the assault force

The operation began late on Tuesday in the Mezai mountains, 30 km (19 miles) east of the provincial capital Gardez, the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press said.

The area is controlled by the Zadran tribe of senior Taleban military commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.

The raid follows the killing of four al-Qaeda fighters in the Khost region, next to Paktia, early on Tuesday.

The latest clashes come amid fears that al-Qaeda may try to use the improving weather in Afghanistan to launch a spring offensive.

Power struggles

The location of the fighting has added weight to reports that many Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters have moved to areas near the Pakistani border.

US-led forces now appear to be concentrating their search in the border area where caves often start in Afghanistan and end in Pakistan.

The latest clashes happened in the same region where the last major battles against the Taleban and al-Qaeda were fought in March during Operation Anaconda.

There are now thousands of American, British and other coalition troops in Afghanistan.

The Paktia province is also riven by power struggles between Afghanistan's warlords

Thirty people died last weekend when 500 rockets were fired into the provincial capital of Gardez.