Matthew Chance Reports From Afghanistan
JOIE CHEN, CNN ANCHOR: And as we have reported here, U.S. warplanes are pounding Taliban targets again today in northern Afghanistan. CNN's Matthew Chance is based in the region and has the latest developments this hour.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of activity in the skies over Afghanistan, with U.S.-led coalition war planes striking at Taliban front line positions here on the Shomali Plains north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Throughout the course of today, we've seen B- 52 heavy bombers dropping their payloads on these Taliban front line positions. From our vantage point here we've been able to hear those planes roar overhead and see the black plumes of smoke billow high into the sky over those front line positions. What we can't confirm, though, is exactly what's being struck. Certainly, Northern Alliance commanders on the front lines say they have been passing the U.S. coalition detailed information about what to hit, about tank and artillery batteries of the Taliban -- also about Taliban troop concentration. So we're assuming that those are, indeed, the targets that are at least being attempted to be struck over there north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Now, what we can say is that despite this heavy bombardment, there is no push yet by the forces of the Northern Alliance to try and get deeper into Taliban controlled territory. Still no green light. Still no order to push on the capital of Kabul. Although Northern Alliance officials say they are bolstering their presence here on the front lines north of the capital, moving in literally thousands of additional troops to bolster those front line positions. So we're watching the situation very closely indeed. Matthew Chance, CNN, northern Afghanistan.