Coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan have collected DNA samples from 23 bodies found in a mass graveyard where senior al-Qaida and Taleban leaders were believed to have been buried. 

But Canadian military officials in charge of the mission said Tuesday they have not discovered the body of Osama bin Laden in the Tora Bora cave complex. Intelligence experts say they intercepted Osama bin Laden's radio signal in the area prior to U.S. bombing raids in December. The commander of the operation that dug up the graves - Captain Philip Nocholson - told reporters at Bagram Air Base that high ranking al-Qaida and Taleban are buried in the region. He said the area has become a shrine to Islamic martyrdom and a site of pilgrimage. 

Coalition forces began searching the Tora Bora area three days ago, using engineers and explosives to unearth the cave openings, which were covered by large amounts of rubble as a result of the airstrikes. 

Meanwhile Tuesday, the British-led "Operation Snipe" continued searching for extremist forces in eastern Afghanistan. 

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters. 

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