Defence Secretary William Cohen warned on Friday that further military strikes against suspected terrorist targets in other countries are ``always a possibility.'' His colleague Madeleine Albright too indicated that this was not a one-off thing, telling reporters that Americans ought to understand that ``it is a long-term struggle.''

On the streets too, Americans geared for possible retaliation and several government establishments instituted special security measures. Security at airports and vulnerable spots like metros was increased and ID checks were stricter than usual at most places. The atmospheretightened after a chilling warning sent by Osama bin Laden through an underling who called up an Arabic newspaper in London and an American TV network. The associate, telling the paper that bin Laden was unhurt, alive and well, quoted his leader as saying, ``The battle hasn't started yet. Our answer will be deeds, not words.''

Defence secretary Cohen also threw down the gauntlet. ``There may be contingency plans that we are developing and there may be more in the future,'' he said, pointing to more attacks on the terrorists.The US today said that its strikes hit six ``terrorist camps'' in Afghanistan. ``Each of the six camps sustained some level of damage,'' White House spokesperson Mike McCurry said.

A leader of the radical Harkatul Mujahedin today vowed to avenge the deaths of ``innocent civilians'' by the ``40 bombs and rockets'' that the United States directed at suspected terrorist camps.

``If the United Nations and other countries fail to penalise America for bombing education centres, then wehave the right and the capacity to take revenge ourselves,'' said Fazlurrehman Khalil, the central chief of the organisation at a press conference in Islamabad.

Khalil, accompanied by a Kalashnikov-toting guard, and several partymen, called the United States the biggest terrorist on earth and disputed Bill Clinton's claims that the targets were military camps imparting training to terrorists. ``These used to be military camps but were turned into centres of education and welfare after the jihad was over,'' Khalil said, adding that at least 50 people including women and children had died in the American attacks.

US officials are at a loss to explain the limited casualties they inflicted on a terrorist camp in Khost. Washington had estimated that more than 600 militants would be present in the camp described by them as a ``university of terrorism.''

As it turned out, the 79 cruise missiles that were fired appeared to have destroyed a lot of material but caught few men -- leading to the inevitableconclusion that either US intelligence about the terrorists' meeting or terrorist numbers was inaccurate; or the missiles are still not all they are bruited to be. One of the terrorist camps targeted by the American military strike in Afghanistan was run by Harkat ul-Ansar and was used to arm and train Pakistani guerrillas to fight in Kashmir, according to Pakistani sources cited in the American media.

Also targeted was another camp run by Pakistanis known as Jamit Mujaheddin and a site described as bin Laden's main camp called Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami, where Arab paramilitaries were being trained, the sources were quoted as saying in the Washington Post on Saturday.

Harkat ul-Ansar is the terrorist organisation which kidnapped four western hostages in Kashmir three years ago.

Indian officials in Washington are delighted that the US has finally discovered that the terrorist activity in Kashmir has emerged from the same fount of terrorism that Washington has struck against. ``What they need torealise that this so-called university is terrorism is also supported, funded and trained by the intelligence agency of their ally Pakistan,'' one official said.

New Delhi has argued for a long time that the ISI has been promoting crossborder terrorism, but this has largely fallen on deaf ears in Washington. In part this is because of the strong institutional relationship between the CIA and the ISI, ties that go back to the Afghan conflict when the US agency funneled money, arms, and training to fundamentalist guerrillas through the ISI.

There were more angry reactions to the US strikes today. Agencies report that Sudan decided to ban US aircraft from its airspace. ``This is for protection of Sudanese territories,'' the newspaper quoted Sudan's information minister as saying. And the Arab League said that it would hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday to coordinate Arab support for Sudan.