Taliban fighters holed up in Kandahar hospital

An unknown number of Taliban and fighters of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network are holed up in a hospital in Kandahar today and are refusing to surrender.

"There are civilian patients inside the hospital," said the commander for the city's new governor, Mr Gul Agha. There was no independent confirmation of this.

Even if he surrenders, he won't be forgiven. Somebody will kill him A commander, who asked not to be named, referring to top aide to Mullah Omar Hafiz Majid

He said Mr Hafiz Majid, a top aide to the Taliban's fugitive supreme leader, Mullah Omar, was leading an unknown number of fighters barricaded in the city's Chinese Hospital.

He also said there were Taliban fighters at Sperwan, a village about 35 kilometres west of Kandahar.

"Even if he surrenders, he won't be forgiven. Somebody will kill him," the commander, who asked not to be named, said.