Pushtun Units Launched Offensive On Al-Qaeda Positions

Pushtun units launched on Thursday an offensive against Al-Qaeda gunmen in the areas of Melawa and Tora-Bora, south of Jelalabad. The offensive was preceded by a USAF heavy bombing on the terrorists. Mohammad Zaman, a Pushtun warlord, told journalists that there would be "no more talks with the gunmen". Pushtun commanders have rejected the terms of capitulation required by Al-Qaeda gunmen. The mercenaries demanded that UN representatives and diplomats from their home countries be present at the capitulation.