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US raids failed to damage ammunition depots: Taliban
Taliban has claimed that hi-tech precision bombing by the US forces in Afghanistan has failed to damage its weapons and ammunition depots including a number of Soviet-made jet fighters as they remained hidden in safe locations and asserted that Americans will never succeed in capturing Osama Bin Laden.
Taliban has claimed that hi-tech precision bombing by the US forces in Afghanistan has failed to damage its weapons and ammunition depots including a number of Soviet-made jet fighters as they remained hidden in safe locations and asserted that Americans will never succeed in capturing Osama Bin Laden.
"Most of the targets bombed by the Americans were empty" because as part of military strategy, the Taliban set up dummy targets, depots and similar semi-exposed bunkers to divert the enemy's attention, an unnamed Taliban commander said.
Eight Soviet-made jet fighters which were in "safe locations" were intact, he said adding the Taliban also did not suffer major manpower losses in the heavy air raids.
It, however, led to the destruction of Russian weapons dumps, the existence of some of which were not even known to the Taliban, 'The News' daily quoted the commander as saying. He said suspected terrorist Osama Bin Laden was safe and the Americans can never capture him. "He is safe. American dreams of capturing or killing him would never materialise."
On the loss of Mazar-i-Sharif to opposition Northern Alliance, he said, "this victory will prove a deception for them. This is a strategic withdrawal."
Rejecting reports of defections and split in the Taliban ranks, he said the militia had a 50,000 strong army and has asked most of the volunteers from Pakistan who came to fight alongside the Taliban to return.
On the UN allegation of forced conscriptions, he said, "we do not force anybody to fight for us when we are already sending volunteers back to their homes. It is a shame that the UN is airing such white lies."
Bureau Report
Eight Soviet-made jet fighters which were in "safe locations" were intact, he said adding the Taliban also did not suffer major manpower losses in the heavy air raids.
It, however, led to the destruction of Russian weapons dumps, the existence of some of which were not even known to the Taliban, 'The News' daily quoted the commander as saying. He said suspected terrorist Osama Bin Laden was safe and the Americans can never capture him. "He is safe. American dreams of capturing or killing him would never materialise."
On the loss of Mazar-i-Sharif to opposition Northern Alliance, he said, "this victory will prove a deception for them. This is a strategic withdrawal."
Rejecting reports of defections and split in the Taliban ranks, he said the militia had a 50,000 strong army and has asked most of the volunteers from Pakistan who came to fight alongside the Taliban to return.
On the UN allegation of forced conscriptions, he said, "we do not force anybody to fight for us when we are already sending volunteers back to their homes. It is a shame that the UN is airing such white lies."
Bureau Report