Kandahar, Afghanistan ? A top Taliban commander said more than 200 rebel fighters were willing to become suicide attackers against U.S. forces and their allies – a claim dismissed as propaganda Monday by Afghanistan’s government, which said the hardline militia was weakening.

In an interview late Sunday with The Associated Press, the commander, Mullah Dadullah, ruled out any reconciliation with the U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai and claimed the country’s new parliament – its first in more than 30 years, inaugurated last week – was “obedient to America.”

Dadullah spoke to AP via satellite phone from an undisclosed location. He said he was inside Afghanistan.

“More than 200 Taliban have registered themselves for suicide attacks with us which shows that a Muslim can even sacrifice his life for the well-being of his faith. Our suicide attackers will continue jihad (holy war) until Americans and all of their Muslim and non-Muslim allies are pulled out of the country,” he said.

Gen. Mohammed Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry, dismissed Dadullah’s claims of rebel strength as “propaganda” and said Afghanistan had enough security forces to deal with the rebels.

“The Taliban are isolated. The Taliban have no power. They are using land mines and terror activities … or suicide attacks. These kinds of operations show they are not strong and that they are weak,” Azimi told AP.