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CNN Saturday Morning News

Eyewitnesses Report Helicopters Over Kandahar Friday

Aired October 20, 2001 - 10:21   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning back to our top story now. Al Jazeera is the Middle Eastern TV news operation that's providing us exclusive pictures and reports from inside Taliban controlled areas of Afghanistan. Joining us live now via videophone is Youseff Al-Shouli. He's an Al Jazeera correspondent in Kandahar, Afghanistan where we have -- where we know rather that a U.S. Special Forces operation was carried out in Kandahar. Youssef is one of the few remaining journalists in that city.

Youssef, can you tell us what you've witnessed so far on the ground there?

YOUSSEF AL-SHOULI, CNN AL JAZEERA CORRESPONDENT: Well, to the -- we have heard and toured the area (UNINTELLIGIBLE) district in the mountain north of Kandahar (UNINTELLIGIBLE) where the intercept was landed. I would just say that that is near (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Mountain that is overlooking Mullah Omar's house near the east (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to land in front of the house.

But a few to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the ground. They landed (UNINTELLIGIBLE) helicopters landed in a village called (UNINTELLIGIBLE) where there was three (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the Americans and the Taliban.

The Taliban stated that four helicopters were flying over the city (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on the ground. They said one Taliban fighter shot at one of the helicopters, and that man, or that person, was injured due to American fire.

They said that the helicopters were more -- now fly to the southern border near Pakistan. That is what happened. And we have seen the village were somehow (UNINTELLIGIBLE) weapons bombardment. People (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

PHILLIPS: Youssef?

AL-SHOULI: Yes?

PHILLIPS: Youssef, it's very hard to hear you, but -- and I think this is what I heard you say -- just -- can you give me a confirmation on this? Did you say you witnessed a U.S. helicopter landing in that area and gunfire was exchanged between U.S. military and Taliban forces? AL-SHOULI: I have not seen that. I have not seen that. But eyewitnesses said that. I'm quoting eyewitness (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Taliban officials. We have seen the area, but not exactly where the helicopter landed.

They told us that it -- and the helicopter landed in -- somewhere else, but we haven't seen that plane. They told us; I'm quoting them.

PHILLIPS: Youssef Al-Shouli, thank you very much.

AL-SHOULI: I'm leaving you now.

PHILLIPS: Thank you very much for clearing that up for us. All right, once again, that was Youssef Al-Shouli. He is, of course, from Al Jazeera TV, one of the few journalists left there in that area in Kandahar.

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