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CNN Live At Daybreak

Northern Alliance Claims Capture of Herat; Three Western Journalists Killed in Taliban Ambush

Aired November 12, 2001 - 05:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to go to Dashtiqala, now, Afghanistan, where our Ben Wedeman is standing by. Reports of the Northern Alliance claiming the capture of a western Afghan city -- hello, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello. Good morning, Kyra.

Within the last three days, the Northern Alliance has expanded its control of Afghanistan by -- to a stunning 40 percent. Their latest gain, the western Afghan city of Herat, according to the Northern Alliance. That city was taken today. Of course, we cannot independently verify those claims.

They're also focusing their military efforts at the moment on the central Afghan town of Kanduz, where we're told apparently there are thousands of Taliban fighters who have said they are willing to fight until the death.

Despite this very rapid advance, there are still very dangerous and lethal pockets of Taliban resistance, and as a result of some journalists going near to one of those areas -- not far from where I am now -- last night, along with a military convoy, they were ambushed by some Taliban fighters. The Northern Alliance says that they were Arab members of the Taliban movement.

We spoke with the deputy defense minister of the Northern Alliance and this is his version of events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. BARY ALAI, NORTHERN ALLIANCE DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER: They were surrounded by the Taliban. Our army tried to break through and rescue them, but they couldn't. Eyewitnesses say two of them were captured after being injured and taken to a trench, where they were killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: And, of course, there, as a result of this fighting, as well, the Northern Alliance has captured some Taliban prisoners, but they tell us that has become a very dangerous operation.

The same deputy defense minister you just heard told us this morning that their troops approached one group of Chechen members of the Taliban movement and when the soldiers went to capture them, apparently they had explosive devices, killed themselves and killed several Northern Alliance soldiers at the same time.

So despite these advances, a very dangerous situation on the ground here in northern Afghanistan -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ben, two quick questions. These journalists, do you know if they are from the United States or are they more local journalists? And also, does this concern you at all, your surroundings and where you are?

WEDEMAN: Well, according to our information, two of those journalists were from France and one was from Germany. And, of course, yes, it does concern us. We were up very close to the front lines yesterday during the day and we saw, I believe it was an American journalist who was seriously injured in the leg by an incoming Taliban shell. So you have to be careful.

These journalists who were killed were on a military convoy, sitting on the back of an old Russian armored personnel carrier. It was at night, a very dangerous proposition. Many of us would hesitate to take that sort of risk. But it's a war and many others believe that this is the part of their job, so they go after it.

But we're all trying to be a little more cautious than we were yesterday -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That definitely brings us peace.

Ben Wedeman, thank you so much.

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