The United States and Great Britain struck several cities in Afghanistan with bombs and cruise missiles Sunday in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The strikes followed the refusal of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban to turn over suspected terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, President Bush said in a televised address Sunday afternoon. U.S. officials blame bin Laden and his al Qaeda network for the September 11 attacks.

"More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: Close terrorist training camps, hand over leaders of the al Qaeda network and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens unjustly detained in our country," Bush said. "None of these demands were met. And now, the Taliban will pay a price

The first strikes took place about 9:15 p.m. Sunday as witnesses reported explosions in Afghanistan's capital Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar, the Taliban's spiritual home. A source in Kandahar told CNN a second and heavier wave of strikes hit the city about an hour later.

A senior Taliban official in Kandahar told CNN their command and radar systems at the Kandahar airport was destroyed, but he said the group does not rely entirely on that equipment. Explosions were also reported in Jalalabad, near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where al Qaeda has operated training camps.

"The war against terrorism will be broad, sustained, and we will use every element of American influence and power," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said. "The aim is to create conditions for sustained anti-terrorist and humanitarian relief efforts in Afghanistan."