Explosions shake Kabul; U.S. denies role

KABUL, Afghanistan — Explosions could be heard north of the capital near the airport early today, hours after devastating terror attacks in the United States.

The United States quickly denied any involvement in the violence in Afghanistan, which has been shielding Osama bin Laden, a terrorism mastermind linked by some U.S. officials to Tuesday’s attacks in New York and Washington.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the fighting in Kabul appeared to be rocket attacks by rebels in response to the attack on a rebel general over the weekend, which they blame on the ruling Taliban.

The explosions began around 2:30 a.m. and came in rapid succession, seconds apart, making buildings shudder.

There were no sounds of airplanes or anti-aircraft fire.

Officials could not be reached at the airport.

Taliban soldiers in the center of Kabul said the explosions seemed to begin with a lowflying helicopter that fired rockets into the area at the airport. There was some return fire by Taliban with anti- aircraft weapons, the soldiers said.

White House spokesman Claire Buchan said the explosions were not U.S. retaliation.

Pentagon spokesman Craig Quigley said he didn’t know who was behind the explosions.

The Taliban condemned Tuesday’s attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington and rejected suggestions that bin Laden could be behind them.

The explosions were in the direction of the front line where Taliban soldiers face opposition forces. Fighting there has increased recently, but this would be first major assault by opposition forces so close to the capital.

Conflicting reports persisted Tuesday over whether rebel general Ahmed Shah Massood, the leader of the opposition to the Taliban, survived a suicide bombing attack Sunday.

An opposition spokesman and Massood’s brother in London have said he was gravely injured but alive.

The Taliban denied any role in the attack.

Associated Press Palestinians dance in the street Tuesday at the refugee camp near the port city of Sidon. Palestinians in Lebenon’s refugee camps celebrated the terror assaults on the United States by firing into the air.