US puzzled as battle zone yields few bodies

As a force of 700 United States and Canadian troops continued to search the battle zone, the American officer heading the operation said on Saturday that fewer than 20 bodies had been found on the ridge above the Shah-e-Kot Valley, where many al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters had made a final stand.

The aftermath of the 11-day battle continued to pose questions for US commanders. After claims that more than 500 enemy fighters had been killed, one issue has been the small number of bodies found in the days since the main battle ended, even after troops scoured the valley floor and surrounding ridges.

Another mystery has been the whereabouts of fighters who may have survived the 3250 bombs dropped on the battle zone by American and French warplanes. American soldiers returning from the battlefield 175 kilometres away said that only about 10 fighters had been seen since the fighting ended.