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Wounded armed Arabs hold out in Afghan hospitals
A group of armed wounded Arab fighters of Osama bin Laden`s al Qaeda network are holed up in a hospital in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, threatening to blow themselves up if anyone tries to capture them.
A group of armed wounded Arab fighters of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network are holed up in a hospital in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, threatening to blow themselves up if anyone tries to capture them.
Doctors in the hospital said they were afraid the fighters -- all young and deeply committed to the cause of fighting a jihad, or holy war -- could cause huge damage to the Mirwais hospital in the heart of the city that was the birthplace of the fundamentalist Taliban movement.
"The injured Arab fighters possess hand grenades and other small weapons," surgeon Daud Farhad said.
Of the 13 Arabs, 10 were wounded including three who had serious injuries, doctors said. Their injuries appeared to have been sustained in the U.S. bombing raids that began on October 7 and crushed the Taliban, resulting in the fall of their powerbase to opposition fighters last week.
All were young -- aged between 19 and 30 -- and were admitted to the hospital about two weeks ago while the city was still in Taliban hands and no checks were made at that time to see if they were armed, doctors said.
"I was shocked during examining an X-ray of one Arab patient when I saw a hand grenade fixed to his thigh," Daud Farhad said.
Farhad said he had no idea how many weapons the Arabs held, although some medical staff -- the only people the Arabs have allowed to enter the three wards that they occupy -- said they had more than six hand grenades strapped to their bodies and also had several hand guns.
The men had been happy when they were admitted for treatment, regarding themselves as heroes because they had been injured fighting the United States, hospital staff said. Bureau Report
"The injured Arab fighters possess hand grenades and other small weapons," surgeon Daud Farhad said.
Of the 13 Arabs, 10 were wounded including three who had serious injuries, doctors said. Their injuries appeared to have been sustained in the U.S. bombing raids that began on October 7 and crushed the Taliban, resulting in the fall of their powerbase to opposition fighters last week.
All were young -- aged between 19 and 30 -- and were admitted to the hospital about two weeks ago while the city was still in Taliban hands and no checks were made at that time to see if they were armed, doctors said.
"I was shocked during examining an X-ray of one Arab patient when I saw a hand grenade fixed to his thigh," Daud Farhad said.
Farhad said he had no idea how many weapons the Arabs held, although some medical staff -- the only people the Arabs have allowed to enter the three wards that they occupy -- said they had more than six hand grenades strapped to their bodies and also had several hand guns.
The men had been happy when they were admitted for treatment, regarding themselves as heroes because they had been injured fighting the United States, hospital staff said. Bureau Report