January 9, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 24, 1422

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KANDAHAR, Jan 8: Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar is currently hiding “in the centre of Afghanistan”, a spokesman for Haji Gul Agha, the governor of this southeastern city said on Tuesday.

“He is in that region. As far as we know, he is somewhere in the centre of Afghanistan, particularly west of central Afghanistan,” spokesman Khaled Pashtun said.

“He could be in (the provinces of) Ghor, Uruzgan or Helmand.”

Ghor and Uruzgan lie in central Afghanistan, while Helmand stretches from the centre to the country’s southern border.

“In the two next weeks, we will announce publicly where he is exactly. For many reasons, we do not want to talk about it right now.”

Last week, officials in Kandahar said Omar had been cornered in Helmand province’s Baghran district, and that talks for his surrender were under way.

However, on Saturday they admitted that the reclusive Taliban chief appeared to have sneaked out under the noses of some 5,000 troops poised to flush him out, and fled with his supporters on motorbikes.

The one-eyed cleric was believed to have slipped out of Kandahar last month with hundreds of his armed fighters after lengthy surrender negotiations with commanders of anti-Taliban forces besieging the city.

“Negotiations? No. That guy is not ready to talk under any conditions. There is no need for negotiations with him, he must surrender and he must face a trial”.—AFP