Rudolph

In this story:

• 'We are in this for the long haul'
• Morale of agents remains high
• Related sites and stories

ANDREWS, North Carolina (CNN) -- Federal agents on the trail of bombing suspect Eric Rudolph are planning to expand their aerial search for him during the next few days.

Woody Enderson, the chief of the Southeast Bomb Task Force, said Monday that airborne searches will be expanded, especially night operations.

He warned area residents that the nighttime flights could be noisy and distracting but said the flights are a "necessary extension of our search operation at this time."

For six months, heavily armed agents on foot and in the air have been searching the mountains of western North Carolina for Rudolph, 31, the lone suspect in the January 29 bombing of a Birmingham, Alabama, women's clinic.

Enderson also addressed concerns expressed recently by an attorney for Rudolph's family, who said the family fears for his safety. A team of negotiators is on hand to address any issue or situation that may arise, he said.

Agents with specially trained dogs search for Rudolph

"We believe the only wise option is for Eric to turn himself in peacefully," Enderson said at a press briefing. "No one wants to see anyone hurt. That is of the utmost importance."

But he also said that the roughly 200 law enforcement officers searching for Rudolph aren't going to leave anytime soon.

"Our negotiators, along with the rest of the Southeast Bomb Task Force, are not going anywhere. I would repeat that we are in this for the long haul," he said. "If Eric Rudolph continues to elude capture, even if successful for 10 years, he will still be a fugitive and we will still be looking for him."

Enderson thanked area residents and law enforcement officials for their help, saying agents continue to get tips, sightings and leads on a daily basis.

"Morale is still high, and we are very motivated," he said.

He also stressed, however, that "this is still a dangerous and potentially explosive operation," and said agents were taking every step possible to maintain safety of residents and law enforcement personnel.

An off-duty Birmingham police officer was killed and a nurse was seriously injured when a disguised bomb exploded at the entrance to the New Woman All Women Health Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 29, 1998.

Rudolph is also wanted for questioning in three Atlanta bombings, including the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park blast that killed one person and injured more than 100.

Rudolph is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, and authorities have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

The search was intensified in July after Rudolph contacted an acquaintance in Andrews and then stole a truck and six months worth of food, leaving $500 in payment. The truck was later found abandoned.