KABUL, Dec 30: Afghanistan’s foreign minister signalled a disagreement with the defence minister over the halt or otherwise of the US bombing as he said on Sunday the campaign should continue for as long as it takes to wipe out terrorists within its borders.

On Friday Defence Minister Mohammad Fahim had said as Osama bin Laden had escaped to Pakistan, continuation of the US bombing was pointless.

But Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said at a news conference on Sunday: “It (bombing) should continue as long as terrorist cells are in Afghanistan or (until) the campaign against terror is concluded fully, with our objectives achieved fully.”

He added that Osama bin Laden may yet be in Afghanistan, despite claims by the defence minister and other officials that he was living in Pakistan.

He added that many members of the former Taliban regime had “disguised themselves” after being toppled by opposition forces, backed by the US bombing campaign, on Dec 7.

Earlier, defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Habeel said: “We agree with (US President George W.) Bush that the campaign will continue until the last remaining pockets of terrorism have been eliminated.”

Habeel said some districts in the eastern province of Paktia “have not been yet totally cleared, so the bombardment and our ground attack should continue until they are eliminated”.

The announcement signalled an apparent reassessment by the ministry.

On Friday Habeel had said the last pockets of resistance from Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda fighters should be crushed within three to four days.

“Afterwards we will see if there is a need for (a bombing continuation) or not,” he said at the time.

The Pentagon responded on Friday it would not rule out continuing the US bombing even if Afghanistan’s interim government were to ask for a halt.

“We’re not going to stop until we get him (Osama) and all those murderers that are associated with him,” said President George W. Bush.

The Afghan Islamic Press reported that US warplanes launched an overnight bombardment of the village of Shekhan in eastern Paktia province.

Habeel said that “the main target of the campaign is to end terrorism and it will definitely continue until we achieve our aim”.

“He is definitely in Peshawar under the protection of (JUI chief) Fazlur Rahman,” Habeel said.

“Our intelligence is absolutely accurate, we even have the names of those Taliban commanders who helped Osama to get to the other side of the border,” he said. Jamiat has denied the claim.—AFP