DATE=9/11/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238474
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE TALEBAN SAY THEY ARE MAKING FURTHER ADVANCES TOWARD
ONE OF THE LAST OPPOSITION STRONGHOLDS IN AFGHANISTAN. REUTERS
NEWS AGENCY REPORTS OPPOSITION FORCES ARE PREPARING TO DEFEND THE
CITY. SARAH HORNER HAS DETAILS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS (A-I-P) QUOTES TALEBAN SOURCES
SAYING THEIR FIGHTERS ARE ADVANCING TOWARD THE CENTRAL AFGHAN
CITY OF BAMIYAN. THE SOURCES SAY TALEBAN FORCES ARE WITHIN 10
KILOMETERS OF THE CITY, HAVING CLEARED MINEFIELDS AND DEBRIS FROM
ROADS WHICH HAD BEEN BLOWN UP BY OPPOSITION FIGHTERS. A-I-P
REPORTS TALEBAN SOURCES SAY THEY ARE MEETING LITTLE RESISTANCE.
AID WORKERS SAY PEOPLE ARE FLEEING THE CITY, BUT OTHER REPORTS
FROM BAMIYAN SAY TALEBAN FORCES ARE 30 KILOMETERS AWAY.
THE TALEBAN CONTROL 90 PER CENT OF AFGHANISTAN. THREE ISOLATED
POCKETS REMAIN IN OPPOSITION HANDS.
BAMIYAN IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF HEZB-I-WAHDAT, A MEMBER OF THE
OPPOSITION ALLIANCE WHICH HAS BEEN FIGHTING THE TALEBAN FOR THE
PAST TWO YEARS. THE SURROUNDING PROVINCE OF THE SAME NAME IS HOME
TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SHI'ITE MUSLIM HAZARAS.
REUTERS NEWS AGENCY QUOTES A HEZB-I-WAHDAT SPOKESMAN WHO SAYS THE
CITY'S TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE ARMING THEMSELVES TO FIGHT THE
TALEBAN ADVANCE. THE SPOKESMAN SAYS PEOPLE KNOW IF THEY DO NOT
FIGHT, THEY WILL FACE THE SAME DESTINY AS THE HAZARAS DID IN
MAZAR-I-SHARIF.
IN EARLY AUGUST, TALEBAN FIGHTERS SWEPT THROUGH NORTHERN
AFGHANISTAN, CAPTURING THE MAIN NORTHERN CITY OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF.
LAST WEEK, THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL,
ACCUSED THE TALEBAN OF DELIBERATELY AND SYSTEMATICALLY KILLING
THOUSANDS OF ETHNIC HAZARA CIVILIANS IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF AFTER THE
TAKE-OVER. THE UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY (U-N-H-C-R) TOLD
V-O-A THURSDAY IT HAS EYEWITNESS REPORTS BACKING UP AMNESTY'S
CLAIMS. TALEBAN OFFICIALS DENY THE ALLEGATIONS THEIR FIGHTERS
HAVE KILLED CIVILIANS.
TALEBAN OFFICIALS SAY RENEGADE TALEBAN FIGHTERS DID KILL NINE
IRANIAN DIPLOMATS FROM THE IRAN'S CONSULATE IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF
WHEN THEIR FORCES ENTERED THE CITY ON AUGUST 8TH.
//OPT// THE TALEBAN SAID THURSDAY THEIR BODIES HAVE BEEN
RECOVERED. A FURTHER TWO DIPLOMATS AND ONE IRANIAN JOURNALIST
ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR.
THE TALEBAN'S ADMISSION HAS PROVOKED AN ANGRY RESPONSE FROM IRAN.
FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT HASHEMI RAFSANJANI PLEDGED FRIDAY THAT
IRAN WILL AVENGE THE KILLING OF ITS DIPLOMATS, BUT HE SAYS TEHRAN
WILL TAKE NO RASH ACTION.
SHI'ITE IRAN'S STRONG WORDS AGAINST THE SUNNI MUSLIM TALEBAN HAVE
PROMPTED FEARS OF A MILITARY INTERVENTION BY IRAN IN
AFGHANISTAN'S NINE-YEAR-OLD CIVIL WAR. THE CONCERN IS COMPOUNDED
BY THE TALEBAN'S ADVANCE TOWARD THE HAZARA STRONGHOLD IN BAMIYAN
-- THE HAZARAS HAVE RELIGIOUS LINKS WITH IRAN.
IRAN HAS IN THE PAST WEEK MOVED 70-THOUSAND ELITE TROOPS TO ITS
BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN. AID SOURCES TELL V-O-A IRANIAN PLANES
HAVE BEEN FLYING IN AND OUT OF BAMIYAN AIRPORT OVER THE PAST FEW
DAYS. HEZB-I-WAHDAT HAVE DENIED THE REPORTS. //END OPT//
(SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/KL
11-Sep-98 11:42 AM EDT (1542 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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