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American Morning

U.S. Forces Move to Try to Capture Group of Al Qaeda Fighters

Aired January 28, 2002 - 07:05   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Turning now to the war in Afghanistan, early this morning, dawn, as a matter of fact, U.S. forces moved in to try to capture a group of al Qaeda fighters who've been holed up inside a hospital in Kandahar for more than a month now. No U.S. casualties reported so far.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Kandahar and brings us some exclusive footage of the operation that left all six al Qaeda terrorists dead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Afghan fighter takes aim at al Qaeda on the ledge outside a hospital ward where at least six members of al Qaeda have been holed up since the Taliban fled Kandahar last month. When anti-Taliban forces seized control of the city, al Qaeda members in a wing of the Mir Wais Hospital threatened to blow themselves up if anyone attempted to take them into custody. All roads leading to the hospital were blocked, barricades manned by Afghan troops and U.S. special forces.

A fire truck heads towards the hospital as smoke rises from the ward.

(on camera): U.S. special forces normally keeps a very low profile. This is one of those few occasions when they can be seen in action.

(voice-over): For several weeks, al Qaeda members allowed few hospital staff to enter their ward. However, three weeks ago they declared that no one would be allowed in and refused any food, water or medical attention.

Sources at the hospital told CNN, however, that sympathetic hospital staff were probably sneaking food and water inside the ward. One al Qaeda member killed himself with a grenade while trying to escape the hospital.

With Monday's dawn operation one very prominent al Qaeda pocket of resistance may soon be eliminated.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Kandahar.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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