DATE=8/25/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237626
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN AFGHANISTAN, THE TALEBAN SAY THEY HAVE CAPTURED A
STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT PASS. SARAH HORNER REPORTS THE PASS
LEADS TO A CENTRAL REGION OF THE COUNTRY HELD BY THE OPPOSITION
NORTHERN ALLIANCE.
TEXT: THE U-S BOMBINGS OF AFGHANISTAN HAVE DRAWN ATTENTION AWAY
FROM THE TALEBAN'S RECENT, RAPID ADVANCES INTO THE NORTHERN THIRD
OF THE COUNTRY, PREVIOUSLY CONTROLLED BY THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE.
BUT, FIGHTING CONTINUES. THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS (A-I-P)
REPORTS TALEBAN OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE CAPTURED KAYAN PASS, IN
THE NORTH-EASTERN BAGHLAN PROVINCE.
KAYAN IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE ISMAILIS -- A SHI'ITE MUSLIM
GROUP WHOSE SPIRITUAL LEADER IS THE AGA KHAN. THE WHEREABOUTS OF
THE ISMAILI COMMANDER, MANSOOR NADERI, AND HIS SON SYED JAFFER,
ARE NOT KNOWN -- BUT THEY ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LEFT THE AREA.
THE NEARBY ISHMAILI TOWN OF PUL-I-KHUMRI FELL TO THE TALEBAN TWO
WEEKS AGO.
INDEPENDENT SOURCES CONFIRM THE LOSS OF KAYAN. V-O-A WAS NOT
ABLE TO CONTACT ANY NORTHERN ALLIANCE REPRESENTATIVE.
KAYAN PASS IS THE LAST DEFENSIVE AREA BEFORE A MAJOR ROAD WHICH
LEADS DOWN INTO THE CENTRAL PROVINCE OF BAMIYAN, ONE OF THE LAST
AREAS HELD BY THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE.
BAMIYAN IS HOME TO AFGHANISTAN'S LARGEST GROUP OF SHI'ITE
MUSLIMS, THE HAZARAS. IT IS ALSO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE
HEZB-I-WAHDAT FACTION WHICH HAS CONDUCTED SOME OF THE FIERCEST
FIGHTING AGAINST THE SUNNI-MUSLIM TALEBAN.
INDEPENDENT SOURCES ALSO REPORT FIGHTING IN THE NORTH-EASTERN
PROVINCE OF TAKHAR. THEY SAY NORTHERN ALLIANCE COMMANDER, AHMAD
SHAH MASSOUD, HAS LAUNCHED AN OFFENSIVE TOWARDS THE PROVINCIAL
CAPITAL, TALOQAN.
// OPT // COMMANDER MASSOUD STILL CONTROLS HIS BASE IN THE
PANJSHIR VALLEY, NORTH OF THE AFGHAN CAPITAL, KABUL, AND NORTHERN
ALLIANCE FORCES STILL LARGELY CONTROL THE NORTH-EASTERN PROVINCE
OF BADAKSHAN. TALEBAN SOLDIERS HAVE CAPTURED SOME AREAS. // END
OPT //
MEANWHILE, THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS ITS WORK IS CARRYING ON AS
USUAL IN AFGHANISTAN, DESPITE THE WITHDRAWAL OF INTERNATIONAL
STAFF SATURDAY.
U-N SPOKESPERSON SARAH RUSSELL SAYS AFGHAN U-N STAFF ARE
CONTINUING AID AND DEMINING PROGRAMS IN THE AFGHAN CAPITAL, KABUL
AND IN THE CITIES OF JALALABAD, HERAT AND KANDAHAR. MS. RUSSELL
SAYS THERE IS ALSO SOME WORK GOING ON IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF
BAMIYAN.
// REST OPT //
NEARLY ALL FOREIGN AID WORKERS HAVE LEFT AFGHANISTAN IN THE WAKE
OF THE U-S BOMBING RAIDS LAST THURSDAY AND THE SHOOTING DEATH OF
AN ITALIAN U-N OFFICIAL LAST FRIDAY.
THOSE WORKERS HAVE ALSO BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR OFFICES IN THE
PAKISTANI BORDER TOWN OF PESHAWAR -- WHERE MANY AID AGENCIES WHO
WORK IN AFGHANISTAN HAVE THEIR HEAD OFFICES.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ANTI-FOREIGNER SENTIMENT IN THE REGION,
AND THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT HAS DECLARED THE NORTH-WEST
FRONTIER PROVINCE UNSAFE FOR FOREIGNERS. MOST INTERNATIONAL
STAFF HAVE EITHER RELOCATED TO THE PAKISTANI CAPITAL, ISLAMABAD
OR HAVE LEFT THE COUNTRY. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/MMK
25-Aug-98 9:48 AM EDT (1348 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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