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Operations shift after bin Laden reports

Osma bin Laden

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S.-led coalition battling al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan is shifting its focus farther south, military officials said Tuesday, responding to unconfirmed reports that Osama bin Laden had been seen in southeastern Afghanistan.

U.S. officials said they believe the region is the most likely spot for bin Laden to hide, but reiterated that they have no specific information about his location.

The mountainous area along the Pakistan border harbors strong support for al Qaeda and the Taliban, the officials said, and as many as 2,000 al Qaeda fighters could be spread out over the region in pockets ranging from a handful of fighters to as large as a few hundred.

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But military officials said they did not believe al Qaeda would repeat its attempt to regroup in Paktia province -- a strategy that drew Operation Anaconda -- but would instead concentrate on smaller groups that can move easily and launch quick raids against U.S. interests.

The coming spring, too, with its melting snows, will make al Qaeda movement in the mountains much easier, the officials said.

Some 1,700 British troops are on their way to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to join the fight, and the United States has moved A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft to the base in preparation for operations in the Afghanistan's remote southeast. The Thunderbolt is a twin-engine, heavily armored plane designed to provide close support for ground troops.