DATE=8/6/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236625
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE SAYS IT HAS LAUNCHED A
COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TALEBAN IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN.
SARAH HORNER REPORTS CIVILIANS IN THE ALLIANCE STRONGHOLD OF
MAZAR-I-SHARIF ARE LEAVING, FEARING HEAVY FIGHTING.
TEXT: DR. ABDULLAH, THE SPOKESMAN OF ALLIANCE SUPREME COMMANDER,
AHMAD SHAH MASSOUD, TELLS V-O-A THE LAUNCH OF THE ALLIANCE'S
COUNTER-OFFENSIVE HAS RESULTED IN THE CAPTURE OF BALKH FROM
PRO-TALEBAN FORCES.
THE OFFENSIVE COMES SIX-DAYS AFTER THE TALEBAN -- WHO CONTROL
TWO-THIRDS OF AFGHANISTAN -- MADE RAPID ADVANCES INTO THE
NORTHERN THIRD OF THE COUNTRY CONTROLLED BY THE NORTHERN
ALLIANCE.
SPEAKING FROM LONDON, DR ABDULLAH SAYS THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE IS
THE RESULT OF A MEETING WEDNESDAY BETWEEN NORTHERN ALLIANCE
LEADERS -- COMMANDER MASSOUD, GENERAL ABDUL RASHID DOSTUM, AND
KARIM KHALILI. HE SAYS THE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN HAIRATAN,
60-KILOMETERS NORTH OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF.
INDEPENDENT SOURCES CONFIRM BALKH, 20-KILOMETERS WEST OF
MAZAR-I-SHARIF IS IN THE HANDS OF THE ALLIANCE. THE SOURCES SAY
A LARGE FORCE OF SOLDIERS FROM THE HEZB-WAHDAT FACTION OF THE
ALLIANCE DEFEATED PRO-TALEBAN TROOPS.
THE SOURCES TELL V-O-A, ALLIANCE SOLDIERS ARE TAKING UP POSITIONS
AROUND MAZAR-I-SHARIF, AND ARE PREPARING TO DEFEND THE CITY
AGAINST A TALEBAN ATTACK. THEY SAY CIVILIANS ARE LEAVING,
FEARING THE OUTBREAK OF HEAVY FIGHTING DURING THE NEXT 48-HOURS.
DR. ABDULLAH SAYS THE ALLIANCE HAS ALSO LAUNCHED AN OFFENSIVE
200-KILOMETERS EAST OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF, IN BAGHLAN PROVINCE.
INDEPENDENT SOURCES REPORT HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE AREA, PROMPTING
THE EVACUATION OF A SMALL GROUP OF FOREIGN AID WORKERS.
THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS (A-I-P) SAYS PRO-TALEBAN FORCES HAVE
CAPTURED THE TOWN OF DAULATABAD, 50-KILOMETERS NORTHWEST OF
MAZAR-I-SHARIF. INDEPENDENT SOURCES CONFIRM THIS AND SAY A MOVE
FARTHER NORTH BY THE PRO-TALEBAN FORCES WAS STOPPED.
A-I-P SAYS NORTHERN ALLIANCE TROOPS STILL CONTROL AN AREA BETWEEN
DAULATABAD AND MAZAR-I-SHARIF.
TALEBAN LEADER MULLAH MOHAMMED OMAR IS OFFERING A GENERAL AMNESTY
TO NORTHERN ALLIANCE SOLDIERS WHO SURRENDER. SIMILAR OFFERS IN
THE PAST HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN UP.
MULLAH OMAR HAS ACCUSED RUSSIA AND UZBEKISTAN -- WHICH BORDERS
AFGHANISTAN -- OF HELPING THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE. THE NORTHERN
ALLIANCE'S REPRESENTATIVE IN NEW DELHI, MASSOUD KHALILI, HAS
ACCUSED PAKISTAN OF HELPING THE TALEBAN.
U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL, KOFI ANNAN, HAS REPEATEDLY CONDEMNED
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN AND HAS ASKED ITS NEIGHBORS
TO WORK FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION IN THE COUNTRY.
WEDNESDAY, THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL VOICED ITS CONCERN ABOUT THE
LATEST ROUND OF FIGHTING IN AFGHANISTAN AND CALLED FOR PEACE
TALKS. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/LTD/RAE
06-Aug-98 10:48 AM EDT (1448 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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