BBC News Online: World: South Asia

US hits anti-Taleban town

Kunduz in the north is still being bombed, as is Gardez

The American air force is again bombing targets around the town of Gardez, about two hours' drive south-east of the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The area fell to anti-Taleban tribal forces last week, soon after the Taleban withdrew from Kabul.

Even so, US airplanes kept up the bombing of targets to the east of the town, killing seven people and injuring three others.

The victims were a family of refugees sheltering near buildings belonging to a United Nations mine clearance agency which were destroyed overnight. It was the second bombing in 24 hours.

The area was devastated. Pieces of wood and metal and great chunks of corrugated iron were blown over a huge area.

In the market place hundreds of men and boys asked why the Americans were still bombing their town, a week after it fell to anti-Taleban forces.

Taleban expelled

They said there are no Arabs here, no Pakistanis, no Osama Bin Laden and no Taleban.

Tribal elders have been holding councils every day since the fall of the Taleban.

This is a coherent, organised force who have control over the security of the province.

All the Taleban fighters have been disarmed and the foreign militants also had their weapons taken away from them before they were sent across the province's borders to the east.