BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan -- U.S.-led coalition forces hunted the craggy east Afghan mountains on Sunday for suspected Al Qaeda and Taleban militants who had fired at allied forces earlier this

But a coalition spokesman said the coalition troops had no contact with the suspected militants since Australian troops came under fire in the area north of the city of Khost on Thursday.

"We have not yet completed the sweep of the area, we are hunting for Al Qaeda and Taleban, we are approximately half-way into our task," Lieutenant-Colonel Ben Curry, spokesman of the British royal ma

A 1,000-strong force led by British royal marines were airlifted to the turbulent Khost-Paktia region for operation condor on Saturday after Australian forces came under attack from suspected militant

The U.S. army said one of its AC-130 gunship had killed 10 people in the new operation and rejected reports it had mistakenly hit a wedding party. --- Denies Wedding Party Hit --- Afghan Islamic Press

helicopter crew mistook traditional firing at a wedding party for an attack.

"The operation was absolutely necessary, it was not pre-planned, it was (a) responsible operation, we went to assist the Australians," Curry said.

He said the coalition troops had found a couple of 120 mm rockets and three or four cases of ammunition from the area.

Taj Mohammad Wardak, Governor of neighboring Gardez Province, told Reuters on Saturday he believed the Australians came under fire from warring tribesman rather than militants from the Taleban or Al Q

British military officials earlier said substantial numbers of enemy fighters were in the area after the Australian team came under five hours of firing.

The Taleban, ousted from power last year after a massive U.S. air campaign and opposition advances, and Al Qaeda fighters have not been seen in large numbers since March, when U.S.-led troops took on

Khost and Paktia have remained the focus of intense coalition activity in recent weeks because remnants of Taleban and Al Qaeda forces are believed to be hiding there and also due to armed clashes bet

More than 500 British royal marines are involved in operation condor, taking place at heights of 6,000 to 8,000 feet (1,800 to 2,400 m) where the air is thin.

--- Winter Vomiting --- Curry said three more British soldiers were due to return to their country on Sunday after `winter vomiting' disease struck a field hospital at Bagram Airbase near Kabul this w

At least 40 British servicemen have been afflicted by the illness characterized by one or two days of vomiting and diarrhoea.

"We have an infection control nurse now at the field hospital to improve the procedures," Curry said.