Washington | Saturday
NINE senior al-Quaida members have been killed and three captured since the beginning of the US-led war in Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing unnamed government officials.
But the tally leaves the whereabouts of another 15 on the Pentagon’s list of most-wanted terrorist leaders still unknown to US authorities, according to the report.
Among the leadership of the former Taliban movement, two have been killed, four captured and 21 remain unaccounted for.
Although a number of the deaths and captures have been publicised since the war’s start more than five months ago, the Pentagon has declined to release the complete list of those being sought, according to the report.
The dead include Hamza al-Qatari, identified as an al-Quaida financial aide, and Hajji Lala, a senior aide to fugitive Taliban leader Mohammad Omar.
The three taken into custody most recently were identified as Sharqawi Abdu Ali al-Hajj, described as an al-Quaida ”facilitator”; Khairula Khairkhwa, the former Taliban governor of the western province of Herat; and Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, the former Taliban foreign minister.
A representative for the US Central Command, Tim Boehlke, refused to confirm or deny the report.
”We don’t really count all the enemy fatalities,” he said.
Sapa-AFP