'Before' and 'after' photos from the Pentagon show damage inflicted on suspected terrorist camps in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. defense officials released late Wednesday the first satellite reconnaissance photographs of an August missile attack on suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, calling the photos proof the strike was successful.

In the August 20, 1998, attack, U.S. forces launched 62 cruise missiles at four alleged training camps and two base camps suspected of belonging to Osama bin Laden, blamed by the United States for masterminding the bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.

Washington says the camps were a "terrorist university" used to train bin Laden's operatives.

The three sets of photos show buildings at the remote complex before and after the missile strike, which the Pentagon said inflicted substantial damage.

One group of blurry pictures shows five buildings destroyed, with three others lightly damaged at the so-called "Main" camp.

At another site, identified as "West" camp, six buildings were listed as destroyed, one severely damaged, four moderately damaged and three lightly damaged.

A third set of photographs shows a series of five buildings along the top of a mountain ridge, which the Pentagon said was a housing complex where top officials in bin Laden's organization were believed to be staying at the time of the attack.

U.S. officials say the area shown in the photographs was a 'terrorist university' used to train bin Laden's operatives

Pentagon officials said the complex, named "Northwest" camp, was moderately damaged.

The United States designed the attacks to maximize casualties, timing the strike to coincide with a scheduled gathering of suspected terrorists and their leaders.

CNN reported in October that U.S. officials believed about 100 terrorists-in-training were killed in the strike. Sources now say at least one of bin Laden's top lieutenants was believed to be among the dead.

"The capability to sustain terrorist operations from these facilities for the near term is significantly reduced," said a statement accompanying the photographs.

A U.S. official said since the missile strikes, training has halted at the camps, but he could not rule out that bin Laden's organization may be training at a different location.

Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.