A Ministry of Defence official told The Telegraph that "some very hot" intelligence had been gathered that could lead to the capture or death of bin Laden "within days".
The officer added: "Our intelligence picture is getting better every day. This time last week it was pretty poor. Now we are on to him. He is running out of places to hide."
SPECIAL forces troops leading the manhunt for Osama bin Laden are tracking the terrorist leader's movement so closely that they are only "hours" behind him.
Osama bin Laden: hunter becomes the hunted
Military commanders are convinced that the al-Qaeda chief is on the move in the mountains of southern Afghanistan, despite Taliban claims that he has slipped over the border into Pakistan.
While the Allies admit that pinpointing bin Laden in the vast, desolate Afghan landscape remains a tall order, intelligence-gathering is said to have "snowballed" in the past 48 hours.
Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, predicted yesterday that bin Laden would be betrayed by local commanders in the area where he is hiding. He told The Telegraph he was confident that the fugitive would be brought to justice.
Mr Hoon said: "He is someone who has not slept in the same bed very often in recent years. He has always moved around but now his ability to do so is ever more constrained. That gives us an advantage in running him to ground. He has presumably planned for this eventuality and has hiding places."
He added: "My view is that either we will come across information that allows us to track him down or, more likely, given the state of collapse in the south, someone will give him away, perhaps a local leader who learns of his position. Either way we will go on going after him."
Downing Street said: "Bin Laden can run but he cannot hide forever. If he is sitting in a cave with his radio on, he will have learnt of the death of his own deputy and must realise we are closing in."
The killing of Mohammed Atef, bin Laden's chief lieutenant and chosen successor as leader of the al-Qa'eda, is believed to have dealt a blow to morale within the terrorist network.
Military sources do not believe that bin Laden has fled to Pakistan, although the Taliban envoy to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, said yesterday that the al-Qa'eda leader had fled. Mr Salam Zaeef said: "Osama has left Afghanistan with his children and his wives and we have no idea where he has gone."
American commanders, however, suspect that bin Laden might have been flushed out of his subterranean hideouts by the bombing. One theory is that he is constantly moving, zig-zagging the mountain trails with a few close henchmen.
More than 300 American special forces troops are on the ground in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has confirmed. About 100, alongside the SAS, are scouring the south of the country for bin Laden and his remaining al-Qa'eda lieutenants.
Some units are using dune buggies to cross the rugged terrain at high speed. Road blocks have been set up on the main routes across the mountains.
Other United States troops are riding on horseback alongside anti-Taliban Pashtun tribesmen. Although their primary task is reconnaissance, all troops have been ordered to kill any Taliban or al-Qa'eda forces who offer resistance.
The most fierce attacks have come from Arab and Pakistani fighters, who are prepared to fight to the death because they assume that they will be killed if captured by anti-Taliban forces.
The problem remains tracking a moving target. A British intelligence officer said: "It is no good being told he was there yesterday. You have to have someone telling you he will be in this exact cave at this exact time tomorrow and you can get people there very quickly, that's the only way it will happen."
Another problem has been sifting through the deluge of rumour and misinformation sweeping Afghanistan in the euphoria of victory over the Taliban. Defectors from the retreating forces are prepared to say anything in the hope of guaranteeing safe passage or financial reward.
Nonetheless, commanders are convinced that the trail is getting warmer. When the bombing started last month, reported sightings of bin Laden were weeks old; now clues are being uncovered that indicate he has been present within a few days or even hours. |
