The US military on Saturday denied a report that the Taliban had shot down an American warplane over the southern afghan city of Kandahar, reported the official Saudi News Agency (SPA).
“All of our aircraft are accounted for,' Marine Corps Maj. Ralph Mills, spokesman for the US central command in Tampa, Florida, was quoted as saying.
The Taliban militia said they shot down the warplane during heavy bombing of Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan.
The claim was made by senior Taliban official Abdul Salam Zaeef, quoted by the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).
"Today, American warplanes heavily bombarded Kandahar airport and during the operation one American jet was shot down by the Taliban," said Zaeef, former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan.
"The jet came down two kilometers (1.2 miles) south of Kandahar airport and the American warplanes are continuously bombing it," Zaeef told the Pakistan-based AIP.
"We do not have any information on pilots but this is possible that they might have died due to American bombing."
The Taliban claim came as Kandahar, its spiritual home and last major bastion, was heavily pounded by US bombers and anti-Taliban forces continued their march on the city.
According to the Associated Press, panic gripped Kandahar, citing fleeing residents Saturday. US bombers hammered the city as opposition fighters continued to advance, meeting what appeared to be patchy resistance
More than 1,000 US troops dug in at a nearby desert base, about 70 miles to the southwest, and stayed out of the conflict, said the AP.
"In the last 24 hours, five minutes haven't gone by without us hearing bombing and the roaring of planes," Khalil Ahmed told the agency upon arriving in Chaman, at the Pakistani border – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
