US planes started intense bombing of a suspected al-Qaeda base in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province early Saturday, the Afghan Islamic Press reported.

Quoting a spokesman for the provincial shura, or council, it said the jets targeted the Arma hills some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Gardez, the capital of Paktia.

The new wave of bombing started around 10^It quoted well-informed sources in Gardez as saying that more than 500 fighters of terror suspect Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network were concentrated in the hills of Arma.

Some of the al-Qaeda men, including Arabs and nationals of other countries, were believed to be living there with their families, AIP said.

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