Dirtybird11
12-14-2001, 02:24 AM
Fighters Say bin Laden Was in Cave
TORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) - U.S.-backed tribal fighters seized a cave Friday that an Afghan commander said had been occupied recently by Osama bin Laden.
Eastern alliance defense chief Hazrat Ali said his forces had also surrounded a large number of al-Qaida guerrillas and that there were unconfirmed reports bin Laden might be among them.
Ali did not say specifically what made him think bin Laden had used the cave. His claim could not be independently verified because journalists are not permitted in the area.
The cavern is located on or near a rugged ridge in the foothills of the White Mountains, which have been pounded by U.S. airstrikes. Ali said his forces were searching it.
Ali said his fighters were closing in on many al-Qaida loyalists in a small depression on the ridge. A battle for that position was ongoing, he said, and there were many al-Qaida dead and wounded.
``They are surrounded and they cannot escape,'' he said.
He said the cave was discovered after an alliance advance on Friday morning against al-Qaida forces, who were flushed out of other mountain hide-outs this week.
``There are some caves and now the (alliance forces) are going to search these caves. We hope to catch Osama,'' Ali said.
Said Mohammed Pahalawn, a deputy of Mohammed Zaman, who commands another alliance faction, said the depression contained about 100 to 120 al-Qaida fighters who were under attack from the ground and air.
``We have seen the place,'' Pahalawn of bin-Laden's cave. ``The U.S. is bombing the area, but the opening of the cave is safe from bombing. The bombs can't reach it.''
He said Zaman also was sending forces toward Parachianar, on the nearby border with Pakistan, to search for another batch of al-Qaida forces.
we get it...things are magical. - ron
TORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) - U.S.-backed tribal fighters seized a cave Friday that an Afghan commander said had been occupied recently by Osama bin Laden.
Eastern alliance defense chief Hazrat Ali said his forces had also surrounded a large number of al-Qaida guerrillas and that there were unconfirmed reports bin Laden might be among them.
Ali did not say specifically what made him think bin Laden had used the cave. His claim could not be independently verified because journalists are not permitted in the area.
The cavern is located on or near a rugged ridge in the foothills of the White Mountains, which have been pounded by U.S. airstrikes. Ali said his forces were searching it.
Ali said his fighters were closing in on many al-Qaida loyalists in a small depression on the ridge. A battle for that position was ongoing, he said, and there were many al-Qaida dead and wounded.
``They are surrounded and they cannot escape,'' he said.
He said the cave was discovered after an alliance advance on Friday morning against al-Qaida forces, who were flushed out of other mountain hide-outs this week.
``There are some caves and now the (alliance forces) are going to search these caves. We hope to catch Osama,'' Ali said.
Said Mohammed Pahalawn, a deputy of Mohammed Zaman, who commands another alliance faction, said the depression contained about 100 to 120 al-Qaida fighters who were under attack from the ground and air.
``We have seen the place,'' Pahalawn of bin-Laden's cave. ``The U.S. is bombing the area, but the opening of the cave is safe from bombing. The bombs can't reach it.''
He said Zaman also was sending forces toward Parachianar, on the nearby border with Pakistan, to search for another batch of al-Qaida forces.
we get it...things are magical. - ron