Telegraph

British five 'killed fighting for Taliban' By Thomas Harding (Filed: 17/11/2001)

FIVE British Muslims have been killed while fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, it was reported yesterday.

The men are believed to have died while defending the northern town of Mazar-i-Sharif, which fell to the Northern Alliance last week. Their deaths were announced by the British-based extremist Islamic group al-Muhajiroun.

Hassan Butt, a spokesman for the group who is based in Islamabad, said: "They all died as martyrs fighting the so-called coalition against terrorism. They went out there to fight for the Taliban and were prepared to give their lives.

"There are about 700 British Muslims out here now, 100 in Afghanistan and the others waiting on the Pakistan border. They are all ready to die."

He named three of the men as Abdul Salim, 25, a Bangladeshi civil engineer from east London, Zulfiqar Ahmed, 28, from Leicester and Abu Waheed, 26, from Crawley.

None of their relatives in Britain have been traced. Mr Butt refused to identify the other two victims. Omar Bakri Muhammed, leader of the al-Muhajiroun in London, said the men were not known in the local community.

Two weeks ago, up to five British Muslims were reported to have been killed during the bombing of Kabul.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001