WASHINGTON (AP) - Low-flying AC-130 gunships are hitting Taliban troops in a tough new assault on Afghanistan's leadership, officials said. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld warned that the front lines, facing rebel forces, soon will not be ``a very safe place to be'' for the Taliban.(Read photo caption) American warplanes carried out the heaviest daytime bombardment yet of Afghanistan on Monday, and the attacks continued into the night. Monday's plan was to strike 18 to 20 targets, including Taliban troop concentrations, said a senior defense official speaking on condition of anonymity.
The strikes will focus even more on the ruling militia's troops once the Pentagon gets better information from rebel forces, Rumsfeld said Monday at a news conference.
The Air Force sent into combat on Monday the AC-130 turboprop gunship.
The use of the AC-130 marked a new step of the air campaign, aimed directly at the Taliban leadership. Previous raids had targeted air defense and other military facilities with the aim of making the skies safe for low-altitude, slow moving aircraft like the AC-130, a high-fire power aircraft that is typically used to support ground forces trained for small-unit operations. It was the first use of special-forces aircraft in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the USS Theodore Roosevelt joined three aircraft carriers in the region, the Navy confirmed Monday.
The Pentagon said U.S. and British strikes hit 17 targets Saturday, including al-Qaida terrorist training camps, airfields, air defense forces and command-and-control facilities.
American military officials believe the Taliban still have planes and helicopters untouched by bombs, Rumsfeld said.
The anti-terrorist attacks will not end during Afghanistan's cold, snowy winter, Myers said.
``Let me just say that we have an all-weather force,'' he said. ``And visible and probably invisible things are going to happen off and on for a very long period of time.''
PHOTO CAPTION:
This undated Department of Defense handout released Monday, Oct. 15, 2001, shows a Charkhi motor vehicle and ordinance repair facility in Afghanistan after it was attacked. The front lines of battles between the Taliban militia and rebel forces won't be "a very safe place to be" for Taliban fighters, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday as U.S. warplanes carried out the biggest daylight attacks so far over Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Defense Department)