U.S. warplanes unleashed one of the most intense airstrikes of the Iraq war Thursday, dropping 40,000 pounds of explosives in a thunderous 10-minute onslaught on suspected al Qaeda in Iraq safe havens in Sunni farmlands south of Baghdad.

CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann was on the frontlines with the U.S. troops.He watched in real time from a tactical operation center as the bombs fell in what’s called “Operation Marne Thunderbolt.”

It’s the Third Infantry Division’s assault against al Qaeda targets south of Baghdad, part of a nationwide U.S. offensive that began this week, Strassmann reports.

The mighty barrage - recalling the Pentagon’s “shock and awe” raids during the 2003 invasion - appeared to mark a significant escalation in a countrywide offensive launched this week to try to cripple remaining insurgent strongholds.

More at CBS News