U.S. planes land in Pakistan for possible Bin Laden strike

NICOSIA -- U.S. military planes carrying commandos have landed in Pakistan in what appears to be the start of an offensive against Saudi fugitive bomber Osama Bin Laden, Arab reports said.

The reports said the U.S. warplanes landed in Islamabad on Monday. The United States has denied the report.

Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan and the ruling Taliban faction have called on Muslims to stop the incursion by Washington.

Al-Jazeerah television, monitored by the BBC in Jordan, said the two planes landed at two airports around Islamabad. It said dozens of U.S. military commandos took up combat positions near the planes and barred anyone from approaching the area.

Al-Jazeerah reported that the operation was in apparent preparation for a military strike against Bin Laden. Bin Laden has been accused by the United States of having responsibility for the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania a year ago that killed at least 226 people, including 12 Americans.

Earlier, the Afghani opposition on Monday accused the ruling Taliban of massacring hundreds of villagers in territory north of Kabul captured and occupied for three days last week.

"We do not have an exact figure, but initial estimates put it at between 200 to 300 people in different places," said Mohammad Aref, a spokesman for opposition commander Ahmad Shah Masood.

Pakistan has denied reports that it is helping Taliban in the current fighting in Afghanistan. "Pakistan has not extended any military assistance to Taliban. In fact it has proposed time and again the imposition of a United Nations-monitored arms embargo against Afghanistan," a statement by the Pakistani Embassy in Teheran said.