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CNN Saturday Morning News

Northern Alliance Reports Capturing Land Near Mazar-e Sharif

Aired November 03, 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now for the fight for control inside Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance opposition is claiming a substantial victory in northeastern Afghanistan. This is happening as allied forces launch intensive bombing attacks on the front lines. Northern Alliance commanders say they have captured large portions of an area near the Taliban stronghold, Mazar-e Sharif. They are also saying hundreds of Taliban fighters have either defected or have been captured. The reports cannot be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Taliban said morale is high, and even claimed to have downed an unmanned U.S. drone. The U.S. disputes that claim.

Well, let's move on and see what the Pentagon planners are saying about this bombing and whether it's having the effect that they want.

CNN's Jonathan Aiken is at the Pentagon this morning.

Jonathan, what can you tell us?

JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Kyra. You were mentioning the fighting around Mazar-e Sharif; Pentagon officials in the past have called it difficult and tough, but they're very pleased with the efforts that have been underway over the past day or so to soften up those Taliban lines and hopefully give these Northern Alliance troops the opportunity they've been waiting for to make some advances. And as you mentioned, they claim to have advanced on some property not far from that town; reports that can't be independently confirmed.

When it comes to passing the long compliments to the Northern Alliance commanders for their part returning the favor, after a few days of being somewhat critical of B-52 bombing of the Taliban front lines north of Kabul, they're saying the latest efforts over the past several days, and the attacks by F-18s today, have been more precise and more effective in decimating those lines. In fact, to the point that they say that the number of Taliban members defecting to their side has increased -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Can you tell us now about these reports of the downed U.S. military aircraft?

AIKEN: Sure can. We have two reports to pass along. The first one involves a helicopter that went down on a search-and-rescue mission in Afghanistan. We are told that two choppers were flying in. One went down in bad weather as it was attempting to land. A second chopper was able to land successfully, and managed to get the four- person crew of that first chopper out. Those four people said to be in good condition, being treated for what the Pentagon calls "non life-threatening injuries."

After those choppers had left the region, F-18 -- or rather F-14 Tomcats assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, went back to the location where the helicopter crashed and they destroyed the helicopter, presumably so the Taliban wouldn't be able to get ahold of it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jonathan Aiken, live at the Pentagon. Thanks so much.

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