Taliban Say Northern Alliance Units Have Been Driven Back From Mazar-i-sharif

The Northern Alliance units commanded by general Abdurrashid Dustum have been driven back 15 km from the main city of the Balkh province Mazar-i-Sharif, according to Sukhail Shahin, a Taliban diplomat in Islamabad. The Education minister of the Taliban regime Amirkhan Muttaki said that the Taliban had captured and executed "5 Northern Alliance soldiers, including two warlords." Muttaki also said that on Sunday the Taliban had seized Chaghcharan, the capital of the Ghor province. Meanwhile, the Northern Alliance has denied this report. While speaking on the US ground operation, Muttaki stated the Taliban had killed 20-25 American commandos. According to Sukhail, the spokesman for the Taliban embassy in Islamabad, the Taliban leaders, including mullah Omar, have not been injured.