The US said today blizzards in east Afghanistan have held back a battle with al Qaeda fighters in caves, frustrating Washington hopes of a swift end to fighting.
US military spokesman Major Bryan Hilferty said fighting at the start of the second week of the battle in freezing mountains near the eastern city of Gardez had slackened off for both sides because of driving snow, rain and strong winds.
"The weather is extremely bad," Major Hilferty told a news conference at Bagram air base on the outskirts of Kabul which has become the U.S. control point for "Operation Anaconda."
The battle to destroy what the US military calls a hardened core of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda is taking place in the Gardez area, 95 miles south of Kabul.
"They (al Qaeda) appear to be pretty much hunkered down (in caves). The weather of course is affecting everyone's operations."
More than 1,000 Afghan troop reinforcements and at least 10 tanks sent to Gardez in the past 24 hours were bogged down on muddy roads near the battle.
Major Hilferty said the weather, currently classified "red" for the worst possible conditions, was expected to improve later on today.
He denied the battle, which has claimed eight US lives and many more wounded, had reached a stalemate.