Anti-Taliban fighters and US marines on patrol near Mazar.

(12 Dec 2001)

1. Various of entrance to city of Balkh
2. Armed groups inside Balkh
3. Local man complaining to Northern Alliance commander that his sheep have been stolen by armed men
4. Various armed men and people walking about the city
5. Wide of Northern Alliance tanks parked outside the city
7. Various of tanks
8. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) General Mostaf Ghol Maslak, commander of Northern Alliance tank division
"If the foreigners (Taliban) which are still hiding from us decide to attack us we are going to deal with them heavily."
9. Wide shots tanks departing for patrol
10. Wide shot of tanks moving along road to Balkh
11. Wide shot of Ata's troops on the road to to village called Ghaleche (to search for Al-Qaida fighters)
12. General Ata troops moving to village called Ghaleche (they think foreigners hiding there)
13. Various of Northern Alliance fighters in Ghaleche
14. Various of U-S special troops walking alongside Norther Alliance soldiers
15. General Ostad Ata talking to his special advisors and U-S special forces
16. SOUNDBITE (Farsi): Ostad Ata, Northern Alliance general:
"We have searched all this place and some of the Talib leaders we found were sent to prison. This search is still going on. Now we are Galeche in the province of Balkh and there were rumours that a lot of them (Al-Qaida fighters) were hidden here but as you see we are here and we have not found anything, so these rumours are baseless."
17. Various of U-S special forces soldier thanking the Northern Alliance troops
18. Various Ata and U-S soldiers
19. Mid shot Ata entering car
20. Wide shot cars leaving


STORYLINE:

US special forces were Wednesday scouring the area around the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif for remaining Taliban fighters.

Aided by the Northern Alliance, heavily armed teams entered the villages of Balkh and Ghaleche.

The Taliban they are searching for are foreign and local people have been coming forward with information as to where they might be hiding.

"If the foreigners who are still hiding from us decide to attack us, we are going to deal with them heavily", warned General Mostaf Ghol Maslak, commander of Northern Alliance tank division.

The joint operation has so far netted 33 foreign fighters. They have been handed over to authorities.

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