Suspected terror mastermind Osama bin Laden has eluded US-led forces seeking him in Afghanistan and fled to Pakistan with the help of friendly tribesmen, the Christian Science Monitorreported today.
The newspaper quoted a Saudi financier and senior member of bin Laden's al-Qaeda network named Mr Abu Jaffar as saying only bin Laden's 19-year-old son, Mr Salah Uddin, remains at the group's base in the Tora Bora mountain cave complex.
"Osama bin Laden traveled out of Tora Bora two times in this Ramadan holy month. He left to meet Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar about three weeks ago and stayed with him near Kandahar," Mr Jaffar told the Monitor.
"He left again just over a week ago and was headed to Pakistan, where he was helped across the border by Pashtun tribesmen."
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed the report.
"It's highly unlikely. Or to put it another way, I think it's wrong," the official said.
Bin Laden leads the list of those wanted in connection with deadly terror attacks September 11 on the United States.
US officials believe he is in Tora Bora or nearby in eastern Afghanistan, although they acknowledge they do not know for sure.
AFP