Rockets fired at bases in eastern Afghanistan; No injuries reported

<br>KHOST, Afghanistan (AP) _ Rockets were fired at U.S. Army bases in eastern Afghanistan early Friday, startling soldiers but causing no injuries. <br><br>Two 107 mm rockets exploded at about 4 a.m.

Friday, November 1st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

KHOST, Afghanistan (AP) _ Rockets were fired at U.S. Army bases in eastern Afghanistan early Friday, startling soldiers but causing no injuries.

Two 107 mm rockets exploded at about 4 a.m. within 500 yards of Camp Salerno, a U.S. base near the city of Khost. Another exploded 10 minutes later near Chapman Airfield, a few miles away, said Army spokesman Sgt. Sam McLarty.

Troops found the launch site between the two bases about a half-mile south of Salerno. They found a small, sealed leather pouch, possibly an amulet, and a sheet of paper with some writing on it, McLarty said. Translators were analyzing the writing.

About 36 miles east of Khost, in Gardez, three rockets exploded just after midnight about a mile southwest of a compound housing U.S. special forces soldiers, U.S. military spokesman Col. Roger King said at Bagram Air Base.

U.S. bases are attacked several times a week, usually with rockets set off by remote control or timers. They rarely hit their targets.

On Thursday, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division found three rockets pointing at the Americans' forward operating base in Khost, King said. The rockets, located three miles northeast of the base, were destroyed on the spot.

Elsewhere, an Afghan man with an AK-47 assault rifle and a two-way radio was detained by coalition forces near Lwara, 110 miles southwest of Kabul, King said.

It was unclear why the man was arrested since it is common for Afghan men to carry arms.

The man later was transferred to the American base at Khost for questioning, King said.

In the central province of Bamiyan, two coalition soldiers were injured in a road accident. King gave no other details.