Witnesses say hundreds of pro-Taleban and al-Qaida prisoners-of-war are dead following an revolt in a Northern Alliance fortress prison.
The exact circumstances of the incident in the northern city of Mazer-e-Sharif remain unclear. Reports from the prison say the mainly foreign fighters either seized guns from their guards or smuggled in weapons after surrendering Saturday during the siege of the northern city of Kunduz.
About 300 Chechens, Arabs, and Pakistanis linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network were being held at the fortress prison. The Pentagon says the prison is back under Northern Alliance control following a shootout with prisoners and U-S airstrikes.
U-S defense officials deny reports that a U-S military adviser was killed in the shootout. U-S special forces have been in the area for several weeks, working closely with the Northern Alliance military commander, Rashid Dostum.