October 21, 2001	Sunday	Shaba'an 3, 1422

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KABUL, Oct 20: The Taliban said they had confronted US commandos close to Kandahar on Friday and forced them to retreat from the country.

The head of the Taliban’s information agency said the US commandos had been dropped by helicopter in Baba Sahib, a mountainous area to the west of Kandahar, around 11pm (11.30pm PST) on Friday.

“The forces of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) went to the area and the US troops were forced to leave a short while after they had landed,” Abdul Hanan Hemat said.

“We forced them to leave. Now we know how to deal with the fresh tactics of the Americans,” Hemat.

Hemat said more than one helicopter had been used in the raid, but could not say how many. Meanwhile, Taliban guns fired for about three hours late on Saturday at helicopter-type aircraft heard over Kabul before a jet started flying low over the capital.

The slow moving aircraft, either helicopters or propeller driven planes, were first heard over Kabul just after 8pm (8.30pm PST) and the Taliban’s few remaining anti-aircraft guns soon opened fire, witnesses said.

A curfew is imposed from 9.30pm across the city, which is darkened because of the lack of electricity. But the aircraft could be heard moving overhead for three hours along with occasional gunfire.

Witnesses said it was impossible in the dark to see what the aircraft were or how many were involved.—AFP