The West at War: BLITZ ON OUR ALLIES; U.S. bomber kills family of 10

AT least 10 civilians were feared killed and 20 injured last night after an American bomb hit a Northern Alliance village by mistake during the heaviest air raids so far against the Taliban.

All day the US pounded the Taliban frontline troops north of the capital Kabul - and within sight of the Northern Alliance lines.

Wave after wave of American warplanes carried out the most continuous blitz since the air campaign began three weeks ago.

But as night fell again one jet overshot and its bombs hit the tiny village of Ghanikhil about two miles into Northern Alliance territory.

A family of 10 are believed to have died as their mud-and-wood two- storey house disintegrated.

Angry neighbours in the village threatened revenge against a British TV crew who were mistaken for Americans.

Sky TV's Geoff Meade told last night how the people turned on him and his cameraman. "We had to leave fairly quickly," he said.

"There was such anti-American feeling in that small community, understandably so.

"When they heard us speaking English and trying to use a satellite phone they actually thought I was calling in more air strikes.

"We were threatened with detention. The cameraman and myself were told as families there had lost loved ones, our families should lose loved ones as well. It was a very tense time.

"We explained that we were not American, we were English, and we were only allowed out under armed guard.

"Two armed men accompanied us and we were not allowed to stop for another hour," he said.

The air bombardment began on Friday night and went on until the early hours of yesterday morning, and then again throughout the day as the jets dropped their deadly payloads.

Brilliant orange flashes lit up the night sky and were followed by the distant thud of explosions hour after hour. At daylight the American aircraft continued their bombardment on the capital some 30 miles from where the Sunday Mirror's reporter watched.

Great plumes of smoke could be seen rising from behind the mountains. This was by far America's most forceful bombardment on the Taliban on this the 20th day of air strikes.

By early yesterday morning F18 Hornet jets again targeted the Taliban's front line nearest to Kabul.

We saw the aircraft repeatedly drop their 1000lb bombs close to each other in a bid to obliterate positions occupied by terrorist Osama bin Laden's supporters, mainly Arabs and Pakistanis who are now confronting the Alliance troops.

The Americans received complaints from Alliance commanders that their raids were very much a hit-and-miss affair.

One incredibly loud explosion was less than a mile away from where we viewed the sustained assault on the Taliban, who did not respond with anti-aircraft fire.

Clearly frustrated Taliban responded by sending a shell over our heads at the three storey high mud hut Alliance command post in Rabat, where we are based.

Yesterday the American bombers appeared to be flying higher than on previous missions.

Alliance commanders have warned the Americans that the Taliban are equipped with Stinger missiles which are capable of downing planes that venture too close to their target.

Alliance commander Khadim Adin praised the American bomb attacks. He said: "In the earlier days the Americans have been merely bombing for show, but I believe that they are now serious in wanting to destroy the Taliban, bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorists.

"We can only advance towards the capital if the Americans take out the Taliban front line."

The Pentagon have been forced to admit a series of wayward bombs going off target and hitting civilians.

And aid workers have warned thousands of peoples were at risk after four out of five Red Cross food depots were destroyed in a bombing run at the weekend. One of the depots near Kabul had been hit for the second time.

International Red Cross spokesman Kim Gordon-Bates said: "People are going to suffer. They are going to miss their emergency supplies."

The depots - all with red crosses on their roofs - contained food, tents, tarpaulins, blankets and jerry cans, all neccessary as the severe Afghan winter looms.

Added Mr Gordon-Bates: "When the first warehouse was destroyed 10 days ago we were told it was a mistake. Now we are told it is another mistake.

"The Red Cross is supposed to be a symbol of neutrality. That has not been respected twice running. It is extremely serious if forces start disregarding our emblem."

American Black Hawk helicopters have been secretly flown into a former Soviet controlled military base in Tajikstan 10 miles from the Afghanistan border, fuelling speculation that a ground force is ready to hit the Taliban.

-Paris Match journalist Michel Peyrard, arrested by the Taliban for entering Afghanistan, is to be put on trial for spying.

Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein yesterday accused the US of slaughtering innocent civilians in the bombing raids and demanded the Organisation of Islamic Conference take steps to stop the blitz.

The death toll in an anti-Western bombing protest in Bombay, India, rose to seven yesterday when four injured protesters shot by police died in hospital.

Copyright 2001 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.