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CNN Sunday Morning

Northern Alliance Reports Taliban Surrounded in Konduz

Aired November 18, 2001 - 07:01   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: On the northern frontlines, we have reports of Taliban turning against Taliban. Sources say hard liners in Konduz are killing fellow fighters who want to quit. All that while allied bombers rain havoc on the last remaining Taliban foothold in the north.

CNN's Satinder Bindra is on the front lines and files this update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing here right on the frontlines and just over my shoulder you can see the city of Konduz where thousands of Taliban fighters are trapped. Just over my shoulder, you can also see a plume of smoke. This is because a U.S. B-52 bomber just dropped some heavy ordinates on frontline Taliban positions just a few minutes ago.

Here, where I am, the Northern Alliance has deployed some 30,000 troops and they've surrounded the city of Konduz on all four sides. The Northern Alliance is also trying to engineer some defections from the Taliban side. No word on any success yet.

The Northern Alliance says it's also willing to provide hardcore Taliban fighters, the Arabs, the Chechens and Pakistanis safe passage out of here. But so far, there's no indication that that the hardcore Taliban have expressed any interest in taking up this proposal of a safe passage. We are hearing from Northern Alliance commanders that the hardcore Taliban are now killing local Taliban fighters who've expressed interest in defecting.

The hardcore Taliban fighters are fighting to the last. They do not want to be taken alive. We've heard stories of up to 60 Chechen fighters who jumped and drowned themselves in the Amu River. They drowned because they did not want to be taken alive.

We've also heard stories of 25 hardcore Taliban fighters who shot themselves just as Northern Alliance troops were advancing towards their position.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, Konduz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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