20000303

Fighting continues in Afghanistan

KABUL: Heavy fighting between Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement and forces of commander Ahmad Shah Masood raged for a second day on Thursday, witnesses said.

Taliban and opposition sources said they traded artillery fire in the Shomali plains near Taliban-held Kabul and further north, close to the Tajikistan border.

Local Afghan sources said more than 70 fighters from both sides had been killed and 100 wounded in the two days of battles, but there was no comment on the toll from either side.

The fighting, the heaviest in seven months, erupted on Wednesday morning when the Taliban launched an attack on the river port of Sher Khan Bandar, a key point on Masood's main supply route from Tajikistan.

Sher Khan Bandar was taken over by the Taliban on Wednesday and Dr. Abdullah, a senior opposition spokesman, said half of neighbouring Imam Sahib district also fell to the Taliban on Thursday.

Imam Sahib lies to the west of Taloqan, one of Masood's two main bastions outside Taliban control.

"Exchange of fire continues now in Imam Sahib and in Shomali," Abdullah said.

He said Taliban jet fighters on Thursday pounded the rear line of opposition forces in Charikar province, near to Masood's key stronghold in the Panjsher valley, 90 km north of Kabul.

The two sides are set to meet on Monday in Saudi Arabia at the call of the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

The Taliban's major offensive last summer brought them to the mouth of Panjsher valley and close to Taloqan, but in a surprise counter attack, Masood retook most of the areas.

Attempts by the United Nations to broker peace between the two have had little success. The Taliban say Masood should surrender and join its Islamic government.-Reuters