Hundreds of al-Qaida fighters allowed to flee Tora Bora

The anti-Taliban Eastern Alliance, a loose collection of tribal warlords from areas around the Afghan city of Jalalabad, have claimed some local tribal leaders have helped hundreds of suspected al-Qaida members flee across the border into Pakistan.

The Eastern Alliance’s governing council has censured two tribal leaders after accusing them of helping the fighters to flee Tora Bora, where they have been under siege for weeks. A top alliance official said hundreds of people were allowed to flee the Tora Bora region, including many senior al-Qa’ida commanders. Pakistan has rejected the allegations, saying it would not allow the al-Qaida fighters to cross the border. An Interior Ministry spokesman said Pakistan has arrested 108 people as part of George W Bush’s so-called "war on terrorism".