Checkpoint and soldiers on frontline near to Bagram.

Описание: (22 Oct 2001)

1. Check point at the airport entrance
2. soldier manning the check point
3. Wide shot main airport building
4. Wide shot airport runway
5. Soldiers manning machine gun
6. Various of airport buildings
7. Various of wrecked Mig jets on the airfield (these planes were destroyed years ago)
7. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Commander Bamiaan, Northern Alliance Commander
"Yes, yes. Five American planes yesterday targeted the frontline for the first time since our own attacks began."
8. Wide shot airport

STORYLINE:

US jets attacked Taliban frontline positions on Monday near the Afghan capital of Kabul and a key northern city, according to Northern Alliance fighters.

Commander Bamiaan, at Bagram airport north of Kabul, said five American planes had bombarded the area for the first time.

The attacks appeared aimed at helping Afghan opposition forces advance on major cities.

Despite the bombing, it was unclear whether the poorly armed alliance fighters would be able to make gains against either Kabul or the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, something they have been unable to accomplish since the air campaign began on October 7.

In the capital Kabul, the Taliban's official Bakhtar news agency reported heavy bombing on Monday at positions 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the north.

Bombing in the same area on Sunday marked the heaviest U-S strikes to date against Taliban positions defending Kabul from the Northern Alliance forces, who have been stalled for years between 20 and 40 kilometres north of the city.

The Northern Alliance is mostly made-up of minority ethnic Tajiks and Uzbeks.

Widespread unrest and infighting marked their four years in power in Afghanistan in the 1990s.

Fighting between rival groups that are now part of the alliance destroyed large sections of Kabul and killed an estimated 50-thousand people, during their rule, most of them civilians.

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