Taliban say Pentagon targeting civilians

The Taliban are accusing the US of targeting civilians with their bombing campaign.

They now say more than 115 civilians have been killed nationwide.

The dead include 15 people killed when US jets attacked Jalalabad, heavily damaging a mosque.

The claims come from the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef.

"In the past days of American air raids, more than 70 civilians have been martyred in different parts of our country," he said.

"The Pentagon is lying to the world when it says it is not hitting civilians."

The Taliban has barred foreign journalists from terriory they control, and it is impossible to verify Zaeef's claims.

Zaeef, speaking in Islamabad, was asked about reports the Taliban had lifted restrictions on Osama bin Laden so that he would wage holy war.

"There was no restriction on him, on his speech and everything," Zaeef said. "Only a partial restriction is lifted on his speech. There is still a restriction on him to use the soil of Afghanistan against any country."

He also denied claims by the Afghan opposition Northern Alliance that there had been mass defections from Taliban ranks.