It is thought that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar is hiding in a village north of Kandahar, along with a bodyguard of up to 800 fighters.
Marine AV-8, US Air Force A-10s and Army AH-64 helicopter gunships have been used in the fighting against the Taliban north of Kandahar. The aircraft are supporting some 800 Afghan army troops and a hundred or so Special Forces and commandos.