Mass surrenders in Kunduz

BANGI, (Afghanistan), NOV. 24. In a sign of weakening Taliban hold on the northern stronghold of Kunduz, nearly 2,000 militia fighters today surrendered with their weapons to the Northern Alliance after facing relentless U.S. bombings.

There were conflicting reports about the surrender of hardcore Taliban foreign fighters - Pakistanis, Arabs, Chechens and Uzbek - loyal to the Saudi fugitive, Osama bin Laden.

The Northern Alliance, which has amassed some 30,000 troops around the Taliban's last stronghold in the north, warned that the fighters who did not surrender will be killed or arrested and tried in Afghanistan.

As the Taliban's last northern stronghold appeared to be falling, hundreds of Taliban soldiers, caked in choking tan dust, poured out of the city to the east atop tanks, pick-up trucks and taxis. They were greeted by their Northern Alliance enemies with handshakes and shouts of ``Welcome!''.

`Omar still in control'

The Taliban leaders have disputed media reports that the militia chief, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had abdicated power in favour of his deputy, the Frontier Post said today. The Taliban leaders denied that Mullah Omar had handed over power to his deputy.Meanwhile, a Pashtun tribal group has captured a town near the Taliban militia's southern Afghanistan base of Kandahar, tribal elder, Mr. Hamid Karzai, told AFP today.

- PTI, UNI, AFP

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