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CNN Sunday Morning

Northern Alliance Takes Konduz

Aired November 25, 2001 - 10:02   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: All right, let's get more on the apparent collapse of Konduz, the last northern stronghold of Taliban rule.

CNN's Satinder Bindra joins us with the news from the advancing front lines -- Satinder.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Martin. Now, we're now hearing reports of gun battles inside Konduz. I've been speaking to the top Northern Alliance general here, General Atiqullah Baryalai. He tells us his forces control 50 percent of the city. General Baryalai says most of the Taliban fighters are retreating to the western part of the city, but some are engaging his forces with small arms fire. General Baryalai also told us that his forces are now in full and complete control of the town of Khanabad, which is just 10 miles east of Konduz. Our producer Ryan Chilcote has just returned from Khanabad.

Ryan, how are these advancing Northern Alliance troops being greeted by the local population?

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN PRODUCER: Well, the local population did not seem to be extremely happy about the arrival of the Northern Alliance troops. I would say they looked -- if anything, they looked bewildered.

Just less than an hour before we arrived there just behind the Northern Alliance troops, the town had been in control of, what they said were, hundreds of Pakistani fighters. So, they looked so confused and bewildered. There were Northern Alliance troops walking around crushing them, searching buildings. So, it's a little bit chaotic of a scene.

BINDRA: Now, you've mentioned these fighters -- these non-Afghan fighters. Now, where did they go when these troops came into the city?

CHILCOTE: Well, the local residents that we spoke with said that they had fled westward; that would be in the direction of Konduz, just 40 minutes before we arrived, just as the Northern Alliance troops entered. They said they left not without gunfire, however. There was apparently a gunfight. We -- as we were leaving the city, heard gun battles on the road between Khanabad and Konduz, and we know that at least some military -- Northern Alliance military vehicles were stopped along that road.

So, it's a highly possible that they'll try to make their way back to Konduz.

BINDRA: Now, what about evidence of U.S. bombing in the area? Because many of the Taliban fighters who surrendered -- they are telling us that bombing in this region has been quite extensive.

CHILCOTE: Well, on our way into Khanabad, we came upon a bomb crater that literally had taken out the road. It was probably about 30 feet wide by 20 feet long, maybe 15 feet deep; and to get around it, you actually had to sort of come off the road. We got caught in it. We had to push our car out of it. It was a pretty obvious, pretty clear example of the U.S. -- the damage the U.S. warplanes have done here.

BINDRA: You spent a lot of time today with advancing Northern Alliance troops. How would you describe their move?

CHILCOTE: Up and down. They were running quite literally. Many of them were on foot and we were a good hour's drive from Konduz, but nonetheless, many of them were on foot, running towards Konduz; sort of as if they wanted to get to the celebration in Konduz as quickly as possible. Then, there would be gunfire; they would all run for cover. They would start yelling, "Taliban, Taliban." At one point, we did come upon a gun battle where the Northern Alliance troops quickly began retreating. Two of them jumped in our car. They said, you know, "Go back, go back," as they wanted to get back here to safety as quickly as possible. So I would say it was a little bit of a neurotic kind of situation.

BINDRA: Thanks, Ryan. So the latest, Martin: Northern Alliance forces have taken the city of Khanabad. This is according to General Atiqullah Baryalai, the senior most Northern Alliance commander here. General Baryalai also saying that his forces now control about 50 percent of Konduz. Back to you -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Satinder, we've heard about the thousands that have surrendered in the past few days. But what do we know about the forces that remain in Konduz?

BINDRA: We do know that some 3,000 of the fighters who do remain in Konduz are non-Afghan fighters. These are fighters from Chechnya, from Pakistan, from Uzbekistan. There are also al Qaeda fighters in there. Now, the Northern Alliance is telling us that there are four top deputies of Osama bin Laden in there as well. These people are quite scared of surrendering to the Northern Alliance. They fear for their lives, and that is why, perhaps, they've taken the decision to stand up and fight. As I mentioned, we're now for the first time hearing reports of gun battles and small arms firing inside of Konduz -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: CNN's Satinder Bindra reporting to us live from outside of Konduz. Thank you very much.

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