WASHINGTON, Nov 17: The Pentagon had no comment either way on Saturday on reports that Osama bin Laden along with his family might have left Afghanistan.

The Taliban ambassador was reported here to have said in Islamabad that Osama was no longer in Afghanistan.

Pentagon officials told Dawn they had no comment to make either way, and coalition forces were continuing to hunt Osama and his associates and to track their movements from the air and on the ground.

“We are not ruling anything out or ruling anything in,” the officials said. There was media speculation that if Osama had indeed managed to leave Afghanistan, then he must have done so by flying out in a helicopter. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had said on Friday he believed the Taliban still had access to some helicopters that had escaped being destroyed by coalition forces.

Bin Laden’s immediate family and entourage is said to consist of about 20 people. A possible destination was unclear, with Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries having already closed their borders.

DOHA: Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef on Saturday said he did not know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden despite an Al-Jazeera satellite channel report quoting him as saying Osama had left Afghanistan, adds AFP