Seven U.S. Soldiers Die in Afghan Explosion

An explosion of a weapons cache in Afghanistan killed seven U.S. soldiers, wounded three and left one missing, the U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

An Afghan interpreter also was wounded in the blast near the city of Ghazni, 60 miles southwest of Kabul, the capital. The soldiers were working near the weapons when the explosion occurred.

Capt. Bruce Frame, a Central Command spokesman, said the cause had not been determined.

The wounded soldiers were evacuated to a hospital at Bagram air base, the U.S. headquarters in Afghanistan. The names of the victims were not released pending notification of relatives.

Despite the casualties, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said Thursday that the U.S. was “sure” it would catch Osama bin Laden this year, perhaps within months.

Hilferty’s prediction came as the U.S. was preparing for a spring offensive against Taliban and Al Qaeda holdouts. A U.S. official hinted Wednesday that the offensive might extend into Pakistan. Bin Laden, chief suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks that sparked the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, is believed to be hiding along the mountainous border between the nations.

But Pakistan said Thursday that it would not allow U.S. troops to cross the border.

The U.S. commander in the region, Gen. John Abizaid, said American forces would continue to conduct “limited military operations” along the border. He said he had no plans to put U.S. troops inside Pakistan against Pakistani wishes.

Hilferty declined to comment on where he thought Bin Laden or Taliban leader Mullah Omar might be.

“We have a variety of intelligence, and we’re sure we’re going to catch Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar this year,” Hilferty said.

“We’ve learned lessons from Iraq, and we’re getting improved intelligence from the Afghan people,” he said.