^"More than 400 killed in fortress battle". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 2001-11-29. p. A1, A11. Retrieved 2012-01-11. Dostum later toured the area with a couple of surrendered Taliban leaders from Kunduz. Noorullah Noori, former governor of Balkh province where Mazar-e-Sharif is located, claimed the revolt had not been planned. He said he had told the fighters "to submit your guns and armaments to Gen. Dostum's forces" and surrender. "I feel sad about these events. It was really in vain," he said. "It shouldn't have happened."
^M K Bhadrakumar (2012-01-10). "There's more to peace than Taliban". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2012-01-11. Nevertheless, Iranian media insist that three high-ranking Taliban leaders have been released – Mullah Khairkhawa, former interior minister; Mullah Noorullah Noori, a former governor; and Mullah Fazl Akhund, the Taliban's chief of army staff – in exchange for an American soldier held by the Taliban.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
