Taliban spokesman says they are holding US detainees.

(1 Nov 2001) 1. Taliban officials arrive 2. Wide of cameramen 3. SOUNDBITE: (English): Muhammad Naeem Dildar, translator for Afghan ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef "The American planes carried out between seventy and eighty air raids last night north of Kabul hitting the frontlines in addition there were three attacks on Samangan. The opposition also launched three abortive offensives coupled with the assistance of American air raids which were all defeated. The enemy left the bodies of the killed and injured behind." 4. Cutaway 5. SOUNDBITE: (English): Muhammad Naeem Dildar, translator for Afghan ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef "One side of the dam has now been damaged and if leakage starts the life and property of all the affected 75 thousand families will be in danger. This is clearly a public utility and away from any military establishment the destruction of this dam would cause irrevocable damage to mankind." 6. Journalist 7. SOUNDBITE: (Pashtu): Abdul Salam Zaeef, Afghan ambassador, "We have a few American citizens with us, they have been arrested, their identities are not known, the investigation is going on and we will inform you later." 8. Wide of presser 9. Mid shot of cameraman 10. SOUNDBITE: (English): Muhammad Naeem Dildar, translator for Afghan ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef "Once the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan was blamed for the production of Opium. But even with the complete ban on the cultivation of the poppy, we (were) left alone with no outside assistance to help in this effort of ours, (which) was to no avail and was not appreciated by the U.S and its allies." 11. Camera men 12. Presser ends STORYLINE: At their daily press conference in Islamabad on Thursday the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan said that Afghanistan's ruling militia had detained several U.S. citizens. Speaking at times in English, but mostly in Pashtu via a translator, ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef would not elaborate on the Americans identities. The Afghanis claim that U.S. bombs have destroyed part of a key hydro-electric dam in the Kandahar region threatening the lives of 75,000 people. The dam provides both electric power and irrigation water. Foreign journalists presently in Kandahar say the city is without electricity. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...