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Cave Searches Yield Info, al Qaeda Casualties
Friday, January 4, 2002
(7:02 PM ET) (00:02 GMT)
The Cable News Network

TAMPA, Florida -- CNN
U.S. forces have found ammunition, tanks and a "considerable loss of life" in cave complexes formerly occupied by al Qaeda in the Tora Bora region of eastern Afghanistan, the head of U.S. Central Command said Friday.

"We believe al Qaeda has had cells destroyed," said Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander of U.S. forces in Southwest Asia. "We believe that their elements have been disrupted, and we believe that the al Qaeda which is still inside Afghanistan is on the run."

U.S. forces have searched seven of eight major cave complexes in the mountainous region, finding numerous casualties, intelligence information and weapons. The eighth complex is at a "very high" altitude, "so we're not in a hurry to clear that," Franks said.
(More: CNN.com News Source)
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Dan