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CNN Sunday Morning

Northern Alliance Reports Advances on Taloqan

Aired November 11, 2001 - 09:07   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to northern Afghanistan, where opposition forces claim to be on a roll militarily.

Satinder Bindra has more from the front.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Martin.

Northern Alliance commanders now telling us they're advancing toward the city of Taloqan. Taloqan is about 15 to 20 kilometers south of us, and was once a major headquarters for Northern Alliance troops.

All during the day we've seen significant troop and armor movement along this front line, and just about a half hour ago we started noticing very significant amounts of artillery and rocket fire exchanges between the Taliban and Northern Alliance troops.

Also today, Martin, the Northern Alliance claiming significant victories in north and central Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance claiming they've captured the city of Pul-e-Khumri. Some Northern Alliance commanders also saying that they've entered the town of Bamiyan. I must stress, it's not possible to independently verify these claims.

But if Bamiyan has fallen, or does fall, it will give the Northern Alliance critical control of supply lines that run north into Taliban territory.

Also a footnote, Bamiyan if you'll recall, Martin, rose to international prominence earlier this year when the Taliban destroyed two huge Buddha statues. One of these statues was more than one and a half thousand years old.

Back to you, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Satinder, is it -- the point of fact that the Northern Alliance seems to strike now more at night, or in the darkness when it makes its gains?

BINDRA: Yes, Martin, definitely the Northern Alliance tends to move when it's dark because they probably find it easier to advance towards Taliban positions with the cover of darkness. And just before these advances begin, we hear and see huge barrages of artillery fire. The trouble for the Northern Alliance forces in this sector and, indeed, in many sectors that they are fighting in, Martin, is mines. There are believed to be some 10 million mines that have been planted in Afghanistan in the 22 years of war.

Yesterday, Martin, I saw several young Northern Alliance soldiers, some barely out of their teens who had horrible mine injuries. I saw soldiers in a local hospital here who had their feet blown off. So that is going to be a very critical factor, how these Northern Alliance troops deal with the mines.

Back to you, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Thank you very much. CNN's Satinder Bindra reporting to us from Northern Afghanistan.

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