US orders bombing raids after Taliban fighters force troops to retreat

American warplanes carried out a series of bombing raids on al-Qa'ida and Taliban resistance groups in south-eastern Afghanistan yesterday after a failed ground assault in which one US soldier was killed.

The air strikes were called in after US and Afghan forces were repulsed by heavily armed fighters during an assault on Saturday. At least three Afghan soldiers were also killed.
An MoD spokeswoman said British forces were not involved in the operation.
Most Taliban and al-Qa'ida forces have been routed, but there have been a growing number of reports of scattered fighters gathering near Gardez, in the Paktia province.