By Mari Murayama and Kanako Chiba
Tokyo, Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar rose against the yen on speculation alleged terrorist chief Osama bin Laden has been captured, a trader said.
The dollar rose to 122.15 yen from 121.56 yesterday.
``People in the currency market are pushing the dollar higher on unconfirmed reports that bin Laden has been caught,'' said Minori Takeuchi, chief foreign exchange market analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in Tokyo.
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia fled the eastern city of Jalalabad and its troops were under siege in their southern stronghold of Kandahar.
The Northern Alliance now claims control of the northern half of the country, including the capital, Kabul. In parts of the south and east, local tribal leaders not directly tied to the alliance have seized power, the Associated Press reported.
A victory over the Taliban may reduce the threat of more terrorist attacks on the U.S., traders said.