An Afghan commander said at least 25 Chechens had been killed in his sector. He also said the bodies of 40 Afghan Taliban were handed over to their families to win support among local residents. No major al-Qaida figures were believed among the holdouts, although an Egyptian, identified only as Sheikh Saleh, was believed among them. A former Taliban commander, Saif Rahman, however, is believed to be heading the troops in the mountains. At Bagram air base a spokesman for the 10th Mountain Division said at least one "high value target" was among the holdouts but he refused to elaborate. |