BAGRAM AIR BASE, April 4: Coalition forces have come under fresh attack from Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in eastern Afghanistan’s Shahi Kot valley, a US military spokesman said on Thursday.

The attack in Paktia province Wednesday came more than two weeks after the end of the US-led Operation Anaconda aimed at crushing terrorist resistance in the rugged region near the Pakistan border.

Captain Steven O’Connor admitted that the attack was evidence that enemy forces were still operating despite the apparent rout last month, in which US commanders claimed hundreds of extremists were killed.

“Yesterday the coalition and Afghan forces received several impacts of hostile rocket fire near the Shahi Kot valley,” O’Connor told reporters, adding that the incident occured near a heavily bombed ridgeline known to the Americans as “The Whale”.

“Forces are continuing to investigate the source of the attack,” he said.

“They observed it but it did not have any effect. But it came close enough that they felt it was directed at them.”

Asked if the incident indicated that enemy forces were still in the area, he replied: “It’s a good indication.”

O’Connor said trawls of the caves in the Shahi Kot valley were still being conducted in search of intelligence on the Al Qaeda leadership, including Osama bin Laden.

More than 50 caves had been searched so far in the Arma mountain range, which was a natural fortress used by the Afghan mujahedin fighting the Soviet invasion from 1979-89.

“Since Operation Anaconda we have cleared or destroyed over 50 caves in the southeastern region of Afghanistan,” O’Connor said.

The searches had uncovered “documents, munitions, maps, plans”, he added.

The United States has claimed that hundreds of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters were killed during Anaconda, including much of the middle-ranking leadership. But very few bodies have been discovered.—AFP