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. US
forces believe Taliban chief surrounded By Aljazeera
+ Agencies
09/01/03: Filing a report from the battle scene,
Aljazeera’s correspondent said a US officer was “100% sure”
Taliban leaders Mulla Umar and Mulla Qahar were both surrounded in
Sarsang with around 1000 Taliban fighters, 300km southwest of Kabul. Reporting exclusively, with the sound of heavy gunfire
booming in the background, our correspondent counted at least six
Chinook helicopters transporting men and equipment into the mountains. But the American forces have suffered setbacks. Civilian deaths Aljazeera.net has learned that the Afghan government infantry
was ordered to withdraw in anticipation of a huge aerial attack on
Sunday night. But B52 bombing proved inaccurate and Afghan troops
reported seeing “piles of dead civilian men, women and children." At least one US soldier also died on Monday when his
parachute failed to open. One Afghan field commander, Sayf Allah, said Taliban
troops had unexpectedly mounted an attack behind US and Afghan army
lines, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers and slightly wounding
General Sayf Allah himself. Sayf Allah confirmed that no Taliban had been captured
alive so far, but they had almost certainly suffered casualties. Diplomatic moves However, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reports that
the interim Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has begun negotiations with
Taliban officials in several parts of the southeastern province. The negotiations are being conducted by senior
government officials, Abd al-Rahman Hotak and provincial governor Hafiz
Allah, the Pakistan-based AIP private news service said. Round of visits But Hotak said he recently visited Atghar district in
Zabul, scene of recent clashes, to establish contacts with Taliban
officials. Aljazeera + Agencies
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