Helicopters Believed Heard In Kandahar

After an intense day of airstrikes in Kandahar, air combat described as "unusual" and "intense" was heard in the dark skies above along with what sources on the ground believe were helicopters, CNN reported.

In Kandahar, the location of the Taliban's headquarters, sources reported different sounds than what has been heard since attacks began Oct. 7, specifically the sound of what they believe are helicopters and gunfire, CNN reported.

Pentagon officials would neither confirm nor deny the use of helicopters, CNN reported. The officials said helicopters were not scheduled for use in Monday's attacks, the report stated. The unusual air activity was reported at about midnight Monday.

Rumsfeld: Taliban Casualty Claims Are Ridiculous

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the Taliban's claims that at least 200 civilians were killed in an Afghan village Thursday are "ridiculous."

U.S. forces targeted a weapons bunker housed in caves near the village of Karam, about 80 miles east of Kabul, Rumsfeld said at a Defense Department briefing on Monday. Munitions penetrated the tunnels of the caves, and secondary explosions followed, suggesting the presence of weapons.

Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said American forces were surprised by the length of the fire, which lasted four to five hours.

"Some people nearby were unintentionally hit," Myers said, adding that there are no bomb craters in the village.

The absence of craters indicates casualties resulted from lateral explosions that came from the destroyed weapons bunker, Myers said. U.S. officials believe the caves also are a site for Osama bin Laden's training camps.

Rumsfeld confirmed casualties but said the numbers reported by the Taliban are "ridiculous." The United States is investigating casualty numbers.

Rumsfeld confirmed four civilian deaths from Saturday near an airfield not far from Kabul, the result of a missed target. A rocket aimed at aircraft leveled a house instead.

The Taliban have tried to back their claims by shepherding journalists through sites of heavy damage. But Rumsfeld said the United States has been unable to verify any of the reported numbers, calling the Taliban "accomplished liars."

The secretary said because of misinformation from the Taliban to Afghan civilians, the United States must do a better job of getting its message to the Afghan people and to Muslims throughout the globe.

As part of that effort, U.S. warplanes began dropping leaflets on Monday. These drops are coordinated with new radio broadcasts of messages to the Afghan people.

Daylight Raid Biggest So Far

The United States has staged the biggest daylight raids so far on Afghanistan's capital.

Jets have pounded targets around Kabul, and attacked a military headquarters and a suspected terrorist training camp in eastern Afghanistan.

The stepped-up attacks come a day after President George W. Bush rejected the ruling Taliban's latest offer to negotiate bin Laden's surrender.

Rumsfeld said U.S. forces are targeting more Taliban troops, adding troop targeting has taken place for three or four days.

About 68,000 rations of humanitarian aid were dropped over the weekend, Rumsfeld said, bringing "needed food to the people of Afghanistan as well as a message of friendship from the American people." The total of American rations to Afghan civilians stands at 275,000.

Daylight raids opened with jets streaking across the dawn sky over Kabul, striking in the area of the airport and a military base. Wave after wave of bombers pounded suspected military targets near the capital.

In Afghanistan's east, a lone jet bombed the outskirts of a city as shoppers went about their errands at an open market in the city center. The Taliban stronghold, Kandahar, also was heavily targeted.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier battle group also is moving into position, bringing to four the number of aircraft carriers involved in the campaign against terrorism. But the U.S. Navy hasn't decided whether all four will remain.

It is continual preparation for what is expected to be the next phase: ground troops.

U.S. officials continue to look to other nations for support for a possible ground assault in Afghanistan.

Monday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz met with the Italian prime minister to discuss cooperation. Both leaders suggested Italy might increase its presence in the Balkans, which would free up U.S. troops for duty elsewhere.

Report: Thousands Surrender To Anti-Taliban Force

A representative of the Northern Alliance, a rebel army that opposes Taliban, said that nearly 4,000 of the Taliban troops gave themselves up Sunday.

The military attache at the Afghan Embassy in Tajikistan said the surrender took place northeast of Kabul. He also said groups of 20 to 50 surrender every day.