So says the Blotter: Generally speaking, you can assume the level of the al Qaeda target by the amount of resistance being met. The resistance in this case sounds fairly high. Still, it's difficult to imagine Osama or someone close entering Afghanistan, instead of hanging on the Pakistani side of the border. Who the hell knows. Most of the real news we get from there comes days afterwards, especially when it involves captures of high value targets. Allah has more on that.

For the past two days, U.S. and NATO forces have been conducting a major attack against a compound in a remote area of Eastern Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden or another senior al Qaeda leader may be hiding, ABC News has learned.

According to eyewitnesses and local reporters in Kunar province, Coalition forces launched a fierce attack on a small enclave in the village of Mandaghel, approximately 17 miles from the border with Pakistan, on Friday afternoon. Warplanes pounded the positions ;  U.S. special forces and Afghan National Army soldiers moved in shortly afterwards.

The assault appeared to  meet stiff resistance from militants  at the compound. Heavy artillery and gunfire could be heard for hours,  local witnesses said . A handful of civilians were reportedly wounded in the strike. Though sealed off from outside access, the area now appears to be under coalition control.