Osama bin Laden and Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar have both survived this evening's US-led attacks on Afghanistan, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan has said.
"Alhamdulillah" (thank God), ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef responded to reporters here when asked if bin Laden and Omar were still alive.
In the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, near the Afghan border, Taliban consul Maulvi Najeebullah said the attacks by combined US and British forces had done little damage.
"Osama bin Laden and Amir ul-Momineen (Mullah Omar) are safe," he said. "Cruise missles landed at areas close to the Kabul and Kandahar airbases and on the outskirts of Jalalabad city but no significant damage had been caused.
"We are keeping close contact with authorities in Kabul and Kandahar and they say they are undeterred by these attacks. Our Taliban forces are ready for retaliation."
Reading out a statement, Zaeef described the military assault on targets in several Afghan cities as "horrendous terrorist attacks."
"Afghanistan is a victim of American expansionism. The United States will not achieve its political goals in dismantling the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," Zaeef said. While the Taliban had offered negotiations, the United States had chosen the path of military aggression, he said.
"Such brutal attacks will unify the whole Afghan nation. The Afghan people will rise against this new colonial attempt."
AFP