RIYADH, Nov 29: At least 15 Saudis and 13 Yemenis fighting alongside the Taliban militia have been killed since the start of the US-led war in Afghanistan on Oct 7, the Riyadh-based Okaz newspaper reported on Thursday.

Five Kuwaiti members of the al-Qaeda terror network, meanwhile, were killed during this week’s prison uprising in Mazar-i-Sharif when US warplanes pounded the compound, according to Kuwait’s Al-Watan paper.

Quoting unidentified sources, Okaz published the names and hometowns of 10 of the 15 Saudi nationals it said were killed. Names of all but one of the 13 deceased Yemenis were published, without further details.

It said that six Saudis were among 11 people killed while performing prayers near Mazar-i-Sharif just before the start of Ramazan on Nov 16.

The latest Saudi casualty, Adel al-Wareek, 32, alias Khallad, was killed on Tuesday in the Liga area of Khost province.

As for the Kuwaitis, Al-Watan quoted unidentified sources as saying five, two of whom were related, died and an unspecified number were injured during the three-day battle in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Hundreds of Afghan Arabs and other foreigners have reportedly surrendered to the Northern Alliance as the Taliban lost its hold over key areas around Afghanistan.

Kuwait’s Al-Qabas paper added that at least 50 Kuwaitis between the ages of 19 and 26 are still in Afghanistan fighting alongside the Taliban and Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda, blamed by the US for carrying out the Sept 11 terror attacks in the United States.

The report comes a day after it said Kuwait was coordinating with the United Nations to track down 50 nationals fighting in Afghanistan.—APP