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CNN Live At Daybreak
Opposition Forces Reportedly in Control of What Was Taliban's Last Holdout
Aired December 07, 2001 - 05:00 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with the latest developments in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
U.S. marines engaged in the first ground conflict since setting up camp in Afghanistan. Marine officials say seven enemy fighters were killed in the skirmishes. Officials say that U.S. forces opened fire when a vehicle came speeding toward them on a road near Kandahar.
Meanwhile, the rule of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has officially ended this morning with reports they have surrendered their last bastion of Kandahar. Sources say there was widespread chaos in the streets, including looting and gunfire. Opposition forces have begun entering the city, seizing control of government and military buildings. The Taliban have agreed to surrender their weapons over the next several days.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting is reported in the eastern Afghan mountains around the area called the Tora Bora complex. Anti-Taliban forces are engaged in close combat with al Qaeda fighters, driving them farther into the area's caves and tunnels. That is where many suspect that Osama bin Laden may be hiding. U.S. Allied bombers are also blasting the area with so-called bunker busting bombs.
Well, we are witnessing the complete collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan today. Opposition forces reportedly now in control of what was the Taliban's last holdout.
CNN's Nic Robertson's been covering the dramatic developments this morning in Kandahar and brings us the latest.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Our sources inside the city of Kandahar report that the city is coming more firmly under the control of Mullah Naqib. Mullah Naqib is the Mujahedeen commander the Taliban agreed to surrender the city to. He represents a group of tribal elders.
His forces entered the city at about 8:00 a.m. in the morning Afghan time. They have moved into the core commanders main military buildings. They've moved into the governor's building and other administrative buildings inside the city of Kandahar.
However, our sources there say that there are -- there is still small Americas machine gun fire going on in the city, heavy machine gun fire, and also they say they can hear rocket propelled grenades being launched throughout the city.
Earlier, they had reported that there were still Taliban present in the city. They say for now those Taliban are gone. They are saying no Taliban on the streets. However, the markets, they say, are deserted. There is a state of confusion amongst the people of the city, most people trying to stay in their houses and out of the way of trouble.
Overnight and into early hours of the morning, our sources reported widespread looting in the city before Mullah Naqib's forces had arrived. They say that relief warehouses have been looted, civilian houses have been looted, even their own compound have been looted, the looters there breaking down the wall in the back garden just to get access to the house and steal whatever they could. But that level of lawlessness, we are told, is dropping off. Some fighting going on around the city.
Closer to the border here in Spin Boldak, local tribal leaders negotiating, we are told, with the Taliban for the Taliban to hand over that key border town on the main highway to Kandahar. Also, Pakistani troops now mounting tighter security at the border here. They are keeping foreigners and journalists away from the border location.
Nic Robertson, CNN, on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
CALLAWAY: As CNN's Nic Robertson just told you, he was reporting from the Chaman border, which is a crossing near Kandahar.
Well, the Taliban may be in disarray in Kandahar, but it is, its fighters are posing some new threats to U.S. forces that are stationed on the ground in southern Afghanistan. Marine officials report enemy confrontations near Camp Rhino. In one incident, U.S. ground forces fired mortars on enemy troops who were trying to penetrate the camp there. Marines set up camp at the abandoned air strip last month. They've been using that area as a springboard for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance patrols.
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