WASHINGTON (voa) – Pentagon officials say hundreds of suspected al-Qaida and Taleban fighters are regrouping in eastern Afghanistan.
An Air Force Brigadier General John Rosa told reporters in Washington Friday that U.S. forces have spotted the possible al-Qaida and Taleban forces around the town of Gardez, in Paktia province.
He said U.S. forces don’t know the exact makeup of the group, but described the men as “certainly not friendly.” The general said no action has been taken against the group.
Military officials, speaking on condition they remain anonymous, say U.S. forces could be waiting to see if more fighters gather. The officials concede the forces could also be holding back, concerned the group may be ordinary civilians unconnected to either al-Qaida or the Taleban.
The Pentagon has come under international criticism in the wake of bombing raids in Afghanistan that claimed civilian lives — including the lives of people who supported the new U.S.-backed interim government. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s interior minister has said that both Osama bin Laden and Taleban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar are alive and moving in and out of Afghanistan. The minister, Yunus Qanooni, made the comment Friday in Moscow.
He is quoted as saying Afghan authorities are tracking the movements of the al-Qaida network chief and the Taleban leader, but that the two men stay in areas that are all but inaccessible.
The whereabouts of Osma bin Laden and Mullah Omar have been unknown since U.S. airstrikes helped oust the Taleban from power late last year.
The United States wants both men in connection to the September 11 attacks, and has offered millions of dollars for information leading to their capture.
