Here’s a pretty vague account of how three journalists were killed in Afghanistan over the weekend: CNN.com – Blame disputed in journalist killings – November 12, 2001

I’m trying to find a better account of the details of the situation. (Something better than “Those who managed to stay on the machine survived, those who jumped or fell died”.)

The journalists — two French, one German — were killed Sunday when the Northern Alliance military convoy in which they were traveling was ambushed by Taliban troops, about 30 minutes outside of this northern town, near the city of Taloqan.

Those killed were part of a group of six journalists who were riding on the back of an armored personnel carrier with alliance forces going toward the front lines.

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Satinder Bindra, Northern Alliance Gen. Atiqullah Baryalai said those killed were “assassinated.”

But Paul McGeough, a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, disagreed.

“I don’t think they could have discerned that in the pitch dark, there were six journalists on top of this machine,” said McGeough, one of the three journalists who survived.

He said Baryalai’s claim was biased “spin” and noted that “it’s funny how in war, people want to make the appalling more appalling.”