Kabul - Hundreds of US and Afghan troops on Thursday pressed a major offensive against al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Tora Bora region of eastern Afghanistan, the last known refuge of Osama bin Laden. The air and ground assault on militant positions using precision munitions was launched a day earlier against the mountainous labyrinth of caves and passes where the al-Qaeda leader retreated during fighting in 2001. Bin Laden and hundreds of fighters are believed to have fled across the border to Pakistan.
"This region has provided an ideal environment to conceal enemy support bases and training sites, as well as plan and launch attacks aimed at terrorizing innocent civilians, both inside and outside the region," said Captain Vanessa Bowman, spokeswoman for the US-led Coalition forces.
Precision munitions were used in the assault and targets were carefully chosen to pinpoint enemy positions and eliminate the likelihood of harming innocent civilians, she added.
Thousands of Pakistani troops were simultaneously deployed across the border to block escape routes during the operation, news reports in Islamabad said.
