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4 planes shot down, claim Taliban
Afghanistan`s ruling Taliban militia on Monday said that one plane was shot down and three more were reportedly downed during attacks by US and British forces.
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia on Monday said that one plane was shot down and three more were reportedly downed during attacks by US and British forces.
"According to the sources one of the planes was shot down and there are rumours that three more were shot down. One is confirmed," he said.
Taliban diplomats, including Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef, laughed when asked if reporters would be shown the wreckage of the plane, which was allegedly shot down during overnight air and missile strikes.
In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel George Rhynedance denied Taliban claim early Monday that it had managed to shoot down at least one warplane and a helicopter during Sunday's airstrikes by US and British forces. "I don't have any information on any US planes down," Rhynedance said, adding that he was not aware of any reports about downed US helicopters either.
"I would not put much stock in anything the Taliban say now," he stressed.
Rhynedance said Pentagon was not going to respond to every allegation the Taliban were trying to put.
US and British forces targetted Taliban facilities across the country overnight on Sunday, including Kabul, the militia's southern stronghold of Kandahar and the major provincial capitals.
The attacks, which are expected to last for weeks, marked the opening of the military phase of the US-led war against terrorism following the devastating September 11 atrocities in New York and Washington.
Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden, a "guest" of the Taliban in Afghanistan since 1996, is the prime suspect for the terrorist strikes.
"According to the sources one of the planes was shot down and there are rumours that three more were shot down. One is confirmed," he said.
Taliban diplomats, including Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef, laughed when asked if reporters would be shown the wreckage of the plane, which was allegedly shot down during overnight air and missile strikes.
In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel George Rhynedance denied Taliban claim early Monday that it had managed to shoot down at least one warplane and a helicopter during Sunday's airstrikes by US and British forces. "I don't have any information on any US planes down," Rhynedance said, adding that he was not aware of any reports about downed US helicopters either.
"I would not put much stock in anything the Taliban say now," he stressed.
Rhynedance said Pentagon was not going to respond to every allegation the Taliban were trying to put.
US and British forces targetted Taliban facilities across the country overnight on Sunday, including Kabul, the militia's southern stronghold of Kandahar and the major provincial capitals.
The attacks, which are expected to last for weeks, marked the opening of the military phase of the US-led war against terrorism following the devastating September 11 atrocities in New York and Washington.
Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden, a "guest" of the Taliban in Afghanistan since 1996, is the prime suspect for the terrorist strikes.
But Zaeef said that terrorism was just a "pretext" for the US to launch a war against the Islamic world, and dismissed allegations that the Taliban was involved in any terrorist activity.
Zaeef further said that Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden was alive and hiding in Afghanistan, but he had no contact with the ruling Taliban militia.
"Yes he is alive, he is inside Afghanistan," Zaeef said through an interpreter at a press conference in Islamabad.
Bureau Report