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Opposition denies report Dostam is dead
Afghanistan`s anti-Taliban opposition denied Saturday a report that key military leader, General Abdul Rashid Dostam, had been killed.
Afghanistan's anti-Taliban opposition denied Saturday a report that key military leader, General Abdul Rashid Dostam, had been killed.
Mohammad Atta, another commander in the Northern Alliance coalition, said the report by Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite television channel was baseless.
"I spoke to him just half an hour ago. He was absolutely okay," Atta said.
"He has not even sustained any minor injuries."
Al-Jazeera reported that Dostam was killed a few days ago, quoting Taliban military sources. "General Dostam was killed a few days ago," Al-Jazeera correspondent Taysir Alluni reported from Kabul, quoting military sources. "The news has just been confirmed to use by a Taliban military commander who defied international television stations to organise a meeting with General Dostam to prove he is still alive," Alluni said.
There has been no independent confirmation of the death of the key commander of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance who is an ethnic Uzbek. An interview with him was published Thursday in the Russian daily Vremya Novostei newspaper.
Atta said on Friday that an eight-man US military team was in the Dara-e-Souf valley of Samangan province, working with Dostam.
Dostam, an Uzbek commander, is one of a range of ethnic warlords who are grouped under the loose opposition Northern Alliance, also known as the United Front.
Bureau Report
Mohammad Atta, another commander in the Northern Alliance coalition, said the report by Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite television channel was baseless.
"I spoke to him just half an hour ago. He was absolutely okay," Atta said.
"He has not even sustained any minor injuries."
Al-Jazeera reported that Dostam was killed a few days ago, quoting Taliban military sources. "General Dostam was killed a few days ago," Al-Jazeera correspondent Taysir Alluni reported from Kabul, quoting military sources. "The news has just been confirmed to use by a Taliban military commander who defied international television stations to organise a meeting with General Dostam to prove he is still alive," Alluni said.
There has been no independent confirmation of the death of the key commander of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance who is an ethnic Uzbek. An interview with him was published Thursday in the Russian daily Vremya Novostei newspaper.
Atta said on Friday that an eight-man US military team was in the Dara-e-Souf valley of Samangan province, working with Dostam.
Dostam, an Uzbek commander, is one of a range of ethnic warlords who are grouped under the loose opposition Northern Alliance, also known as the United Front.
Bureau Report