18 December 2001

Reports have come in of a huge explosion of an ammunition dump at Kandahar Airport on the morning of Eid-ul-Fitr, Sunday 16 December 2001, which is said to have claimed some 200 US casualies.

Pro-Taliban mujahideen say that they booby trapped an ammunition store at the airport and exploded it while US forces approached.

After the loss of one soldier killed and three seriously injured last week, in a landmine explosion, the US Marines have been taking extra care in clearing and checking Kandahar Airport and the surrounding areas for mines and booby traps.

They tried to approach the airport grounds from no-man's land, thinking that it was the least likely area to have been booby-trapped. But pro-Taliban forces were watching them from the peaks of nearby mountains.

The Mujahideen had wired an extremely large amount of explosives for detonation by radio remote control.

Once a large party of US troops were inside the detonation zone, the they exploded the device causing a huge ball of flame to engulf Kandahar Airport. Approximately 200 US soldiers were claimed by the Mujahideen to have been either killed or injured.

US soldiers were reported to be lying on the ground requesting help and water with survivors unwilling to help out of fear of more booby traps. Only several hours later did the US soldiers begin evacuating their dead and injured.

The dead were carried in boxes whilst the injured were evacuated on stretchers. Mujahideen intelligence was sent nearer to the area to obtain exact information on the US casualties. The Americans said only three of their soldiers were injured.

Meanwhile, as eastern Alliance and US forces claim victory in flushing out Al-Qaeda forces from Tora Bora, the Mujahideen say they wiped out an entire unit of US Navy Seal Special Forces.

The troops were attempting to reach a Mujahideen position. As the troops approached the Mujahideen surrounded them and blocked off their escape routes.

The Seals attempted to run but were cut down to the last man. Their identification as Navy Seals was obtained from the identity cards found on their bodies.