Canadian troops have found a graveyard they believe was a shrine to Islamic martyrdom and where senior lieutenants of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden may be buried, a Canadian officer said today.
Capt Philip Nicholson said DNA samples were taken from 23 bodies found in the cemetery during a three-day sweep of the Tora Bora area in eastern Afghanistan, which was heavily bombed by US warplanes in mid-December.
He said the graves had become a significant Muslim holy site since al-Qaeda fighters were buried there at the end of December and it was believed that bin Laden might have been among them.
"We did not find anybody who was six foot five," said Capt Nicholson, referring to bin Laden. He said the bodies could be senior lieutenants or bin Laden's personal bodyguards.