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U.S. forces search, destroy Afghanistan caves

Infantry soldiers from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division search through items removed from caves used by Taliban and al Qaeda forces.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Nearly 400 U.S. troops returned Saturday from searching and destroying caves formerly used by al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

The mission, called Operation Mountain Lion, is continuing, a Pentagon official said Sunday.

The operation, which began Monday, involved three companies from the 101st Airborne Division, who searched caves in the Zawar Kili region of Paktia province to investigate intelligence reports that Taliban and al Qaeda forces may have slipped over the border into Pakistan, about a mile away.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports on the search-and-destroy mission in the mountains of Afghanistan (April 6) Play video   EXTRA INFORMATION Images from Operation Mountain Lion    RESOURCES On the Scene: Troops hoped to find al Qaeda

The forces have encountered no opposition during their first large-scale offensive since Operation Anaconda in March. No casualties have been reported.

For the first time, journalists from three news organizations, including CNN, were allowed to accompany the soldiers on the mission.

After searching the caves, infantry soldiers attempted to destroy them with C-4 explosives and anti-tank weapons.

Many of the caves were heavily reinforced, and the infantry could not carry enough ammunition to destroy them all.

The troops did not find many munitions, but they did remove some documents indicating that terrorist cells may have occupied the caves at some point. While some appeared to be of a religious nature, others included military terminology.