Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the head of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan have made another public show of unity before expected military action against insurgents.
Mr. Karzai and General Stanley McChrystal met with hundreds of tribal elders in northern Kunduz province, a region that has seen a surge in Taliban activity over the past year.
Rockets landed about 10 kilometers from the venue but failed to interrupt the meeting.
Sunday's gathering was the third time in recent weeks the two men have presented the counter-insurgency strategy to groups of elders to emphasize the Afghan government's role in military efforts.
The United States is deploying an additional 30,000 troops this year to battle the Taliban insurgency.
Unity between the Afghan government and its international backers is seen as essential for the push against the Taliban.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.