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CNN Saturday Morning News

Taliban, Northern Alliance Continue Fighting in Konduz

Aired November 17, 2001 - 08:18   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: We're going to talk now about U.S. planes continuing their assaults -- air assaults in northern Afghanistan. And on the ground, the Taliban are continuing to fight the Northern Alliance to maintain control of Konduz, the last Taliban stronghold in the north.

With more on that, CNN producer Ryan Chilcote joins us with the latest from there -- hi, Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN PRODUCER: Hello, Kyra.

That's right, we were on the Northern Alliance's front lines here in the eastern outskirts of northern Afghanistan's Konduz province. The Konduz province is the last remaining Taliban stronghold in northern Afghanistan and for some eight hours today we watched one B- 52 after another drop bombs on Taliban front line positions in Konduz.

We also, however, witnessed one bomb, apparently misguided, that went in on a hillside controlled by the Northern Alliance. The U.S. has been bombing the Taliban positions for at least four days now and today was clearly some of the most intensive bombing, the U.S. hoping to obviously weaken the Taliban front lines and clear the way for a Northern Alliance attack on that province.

The Northern Alliance has vowed to attack Konduz if the Taliban soldiers there do not surrender. But for now, as night has fallen, that attack has yet to come.

PHILLIPS: Ryan Chilcote, thank you so much for the latest from the Konduz area -- Marty.

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