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Al Qaeda commanders make another surrender offer

Relentlessly bombarded by US fighter jets and constantly assaulted by the Afghan opposition ground forces, Al Qaeda fighters besieged in the network of caves in the Tora Bora mountains made another surrender offer -- the third in the last two weeks.

However, opposition commanders -- stung by two botched up surrender offers -- fear the present offer could be a ploy to stop the attacks and search for escape routes and have reportedly rejected the offer.

Meanwhile, US officials said American forces have detected Osama bin Laden giving orders over short-range radio during the past week, even as fighter bombers rained missiles on one particular network of caves Afghan opposition commanders said might hold the Saudi renegade.

US Defence Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld said opposition forces were making headway against an estimated 1,000 cornered Al Qaeda men.

"It is estimated there are hundreds of Al Qaeda, possible Taliban, in the caves and tunnels, and US and coalition forces are pursuing them. The last report I received says opposition forces are making success," Rumsfeld said.

Pakistan said it has arrested 37 Arabs -- including 31 Yemenis -- trying to sneak into the country from Tora Bora.

Reports quoting Pakistan security officials said the men admitted they belonged to Al Qaeda and that the relentless US bombing had forced them to flee.

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