Coalition launch hunt for Taliban chief Omar: Report

Hindustantimes ^ | 6/23/02

[Ranger]

United States-led coalition troops have launched a massive operation in central Afghanistan to hunt down Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and his senior commanders, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported on Sunday.

It said hundreds of coalition troops had been combing mountains and caves linking the provinces of Ghor, Helmand and Uruzgan for the past three days.

The search was intensified after the coalition forces received reports that Mullah Omar was hiding in the mountains, the Pakistan-based private news service said.

Helicopters were being used to drop troops in several places, it said.

There were reports that the deposed Taliban regime's defence minister Mullah Obaidullah was also using hiding in the hills along with senior Taliban commander Mullah Akhund, it said.

The coalition forces are concentrating on the Marko area of Ghor province after reports Mullah Omar and Obaidullah had taken shelter there, it added.

The search for the Taliban leader was also continuing in the Sangeen, Musa Killa and Grishik regions of Helmand province, AIP said, adding that the coalition troops had also been airlifted to these areas.

The hardline Taliban regime collapsed under US military strikes last year for harbouring terror suspect Osama bin Laden.

But Mullah Omar and his key associates have so far eluded all attempts to capture them.

[Free the USA]

Bump list

[Dialup Llama]

Does the lawyer who stopped the early attack on Mullah Omar still have a job?

[IronJack]

I suspect bin Laden is dead, so the next henchman to topple must be the one-eyed jackoff, Mullah Omar. It would be nice to capture him alive, at least long enough to get videotape. Of course, if he met with an accident shortly thereafter, it would save transportation costs.