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CNN Live Sunday

Thousands of Taliban Fighters Trapped in Konduz

Aired November 18, 2001 - 18:01   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: The Taliban in Konduz are smarting from the most punishing air strikes there is so far. Thousands of Taliban fighters are trapped there, and CNN correspondent Satinder Bindra was the only reporter on the front lines today with a view of the U.S. aerial attack.

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SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For two days, U.S. planes have kept up a relentless barrage of air strikes against front line Taliban positions in Konduz. Still, an estimated 20,000 Taliban fighters trapped there show no signs of surrendering.

Some bombs fall within a mile of our cameras. This is as close to the Konduz front as one can possibly get. We reach here by trekking for hours through mountain passes. A team of donkeys and mules carry our lightweight videophone and other gear. The climb is so steep, one of our mules collapses, too exhausted to go on.

But we do eventually manage to reach our destination, a hill with a bird's eye view of Konduz. Here, Northern Alliance forces, led by General Atiquallah Baryalai are directing fire on Taliban positions with pinpoint accuracy.

GEN. ATIQUALLAH BARYALAI, NORTHERN ALLIANCE (through translator): The air strikes were successful. Some bombs dropped on Taliban strongholds. The bombs dropped on target.

BINDRA: General Baryalai says 30 Taliban fighters have been killed in the latest air attacks. The Northern Alliance, too, is suffering casualties. Several of their fighters have been killed. Others have been injured.

In such circumstances, the Northern Alliance says it's willing to offer the Taliban safe passage from Konduz to Pakistan if they turn in their weapons. But a hard-core element of Taliban fighters, the Arabs, Chechens and Pakistanis, have shown no interest in negotiations.

BARYALAI (through translator): When they are faced with our army, they fight hard. Some people who knew they were going to be captured committed suicide by exploding hand grenades and bombs.

BINDRA: Northern Alliance commanders say in one instance 60 Chechen fighters hurled themselves into a river, preferring death by drowning rather than surrender.

Northern Alliance commanders say four senior al Qaeda commanders are trapped in Konduz. They say these hard-core Taliban forces are now even killing those local fighters who have expressed an interest in negotiations.

(on camera): Just over my shoulder is the city of Konduz. It's surrounded on all four sides by an estimated 30,000 Northern Alliance fighters. But these fighters say they lack the ammunition and weaponry to launch a full-scale offensive against the Taliban.

(voice-over): So the Northern Alliance says it will continue trying to engineer defections. In the meantime, it wants the U.S. to keep up these punishing air strikes, and if the Taliban still don't surrender, the Northern Alliance says it will launch attacks in some sectors.

BARYALAI (through translator): We are trying to finish negotiations. If they don't accept, we will be ready to attack.

BINDRA: Northern Alliance commanders realize the Taliban are running low on supplies, and cannot last forever. So, they are appealing to the international community to help them defeat what they describe as a terrorist army.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, on the front lines in Konduz.

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