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DATE=8/11/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236883
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L-UPDATE)
BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  TALEBAN FORCES HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER STRATEGIC TOWN IN 
NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN, FOLLOWING THE CAPTURE OF THE BIGGEST CITY 
IN THE NORTH JUST DAYS AGO.  CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN 
REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT:  INDEPENDENT SOURCES CONFIRM THE FALL OF TALOQAN, THE 
CAPITAL OF TAKHAR PROVINCE IN THE REMOTE NORTHEAST OF THE 
COUNTRY.  TALOQAN WAS A KEY BASE FOR OPPOSITION COMMANDER AHMAD 
SHAH MASOOD WHO RECEIVED MOST OF HIS SUPPLIES THROUGH THE TOWN.  
THE TALEBAN SAY THEY CAPTURED TALOQAN AFTER A BRIEF BATTLE. 
MEANWHILE, THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS SAYS THOUSANDS OF TALEBAN 
TROOPS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO TAKHAR PROVINCE FEARING A POSSIBLE
COUNTER-ATTACK.  THE NEWS AGENCY SAYS COMMANDER MASOOD IS 
BUILDING UP FORCES IN THE REGION IN PREPARATION FOR AN OFFENSIVE.
ANALYSTS SAY THE OPPOSITION IS WELL-PLACED IN TAKHAR PROVINCE.  
THEY SAY IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR TALEBAN FIGHTERS TO SWEEP 
AWAY OPPOSITION FORCES IN TAKHAR THAN IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF, THE 
NORTHERN CAPITAL THAT FELL SATURDAY.
TALEBAN FORCES ARE CONSOLIDATING THEIR HOLD ON MAZAR-I-SHARIF.  
SOURCES IN AFGHANISTAN TELL V-O-A TALEBAN TROOPS ARE GOING 
DOOR-TO-DOOR COLLECTING WEAPONS AND ARE ALSO ASKING PEOPLE WHERE 
ETHNIC HAZARAS LIVE.  HAZARAS FORM ONE OF THE KEY OPPOSITION 
FACTIONS THAT HAS FOUGHT THE TALEBAN IN THE NORTH.  THE SOURCES 
ALSO SAY YOUNG MEN ARE STAYING OFF THE STREETS IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF 
AMID FEARS THEY WILL BE ROUNDED UP AND FORCED TO BECOME TALEBAN 
FIGHTERS.
THE TALEBAN SUFFERED THEIR WORST DEFEAT OF THE WAR IN THE CITY 
JUST MORE THAN ONE-YEAR AGO.  IN MAY OF 1997 AS MANY AS 
TWO-THOUSAND TALEBAN TROOPS WERE KILLED IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF SHORTLY
AFTER CAPTURING THE CITY.
THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT, WHICH BEGAN FOUR-YEARS AGO IN SOUTHERN 
KANDAHAR PROVINCE, NOW CONTROLS MOST OF AFGHANISTAN.  THE GROUP 
IS KNOWN FOR ITS STRICT VERSION OF ISLAMIC LAW THAT BANS MUSIC, 
DIRECTS MEN TO WEAR BEARDS, AND BARS MOST WOMEN FROM WORK AND 
GIRLS FROM SCHOOL.   (SIGNED)
NEB/RAE
11-Aug-98 10:06 AM EDT (1406 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.