As of the time of this briefing, the United States Department of Defense has confirmed the rescue of eight foreign aid workers who have been held by Taliban forces in Afghanistan.  These workers were initially freed by advancing Northern Alliance forces, then extricated from hostile territory by United States Special Forces and flown by helicopter to Pakistan. 

Currently, anti-Taliban forces including The Northern Alliance and The Pashtun have taken control of almost two-thirds of Afghanistan.  The remaining Taliban forces that have not fled to the mountain regions are believed to be "holed up" in the northern city of Kaduz and southern city of Kandahar but are facing heavy fighting from the anti-Taliban forces in those regions as well as precision bombing raids by United States Strike aircraft.  The Pentagon has also indicated that they believe to have killed several senior leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaeda network during bombing raids on Al Qaeda safe houses located near Kandahar and Kabul earlier this week.

 While it is important to remember that we still have work to do,  I am confident that we will continue to see significant gains in this conflict in the upcoming days and weeks.  I am extremely proud of the work of the brave men and women in our United States military and I thank them for their service to their country.