Osama bin Laden is alive: Taliban leader

LONDON: Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is alive and is in touch with Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, a senior Taliban commander has said.

Mullah Dadullah said it was not possible to meet the the Al Qaeda leader, who is believed to be hiding near the Afghan border in northwest Pakistan.

"It is hard for anyone to meet Bin Laden himself now, but we know he is still alive. He's not yet martyred. Such information would be easy to get, his comrades stand shoulder to shoulder with us. They keep us informed," Dadullah told Britain's Channel 4 News.

"Only his comrades see him. We exchange messages with each other to share plans," he said adding "we are in touch with his colleagues and we fight together".

Dadullah also warned that British troops in Afghanistan face a fierce onslaguht from his fighters and said thousands of his recruits are ready to become suicide bombers.

Britain has announced that an extra 1,400 British troops will be sent to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.