DATE=9/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238962
TITLE=AFGHAN ROCKET (L-UPDATE)
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: DOZENS OF PEOPLE ARE REPORTED DEAD OR INJURED IN A ROCKET
ATTACK ON THE AFGHAN CAPITAL KABUL. THE ATTACK COMES AMIDST
REPORTS OPPOSITION FORCES ARE GEARING UP FOR A LARGE-SCALE
OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TALEBAN-CONTROLLED CITY. ALI ZAIDI REPORTS
FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: THE CASUALTIES CONTINUE TO MOUNT IN KABUL'S WORST CARNAGE
IN YEARS.
HOURS AFTER A FIRST ROCKET LANDED IN A DENSELY POPULATED
RESIDENTIAL AREA KILLING AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE, A SECOND SALVO OF
ROCKETS THOUGHT TO BE FIRED BY AFGHAN OPPOSITION FORCES IS
REPORTED TO HAVE HIT A CROWDED MARKET AREA -- KILLING AND
INJURING DOZENS MORE.
RESCUERS ARE STILL SIFTING THROUGH THE RUBBLE LOOKING FOR
SURVIVORS, AND SOME OF THE INJURED ARE SAID TO BE IN CRITICAL
CONDITION. THE PAKISTAN-BASED AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS AGENCY
(A-I-P) QUOTES EYEWITNESSES AS SAYING A FIRE SPARKED BY THE
SECOND ROCKET ATTACK IN THE BAHARISTAN MARKET IS STILL BLAZING.
ANOTHER ROCKET LANDED IN AN OPEN AREA NEAR KABUL AIRPORT, WHICH
HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF SEVERAL PREVIOUS SUCH ATTACKS BY THE
OPPOSITION SEEKING TO PREVENT TALEBAN FIGHTER PLANES FROM TAKING
OFF.
THE ROCKET ATTACK IS THE DEADLIEST IN YEARS FOR A CITY THAT HAS
BEEN RELATIVELY PEACEFUL SINCE THE TALEBAN TOOK CONTROL AFTER A
DECADE AND-A-HALF OF CIVIL WAR. MORE THAN 90-PERCENT OF
AFGHANISTAN IS NOW CONTROLLED BY THE TALEBAN, BUT THE FORCES OF
OPPOSITION COMMANDER AHMED SHAH MASOOD ARE DUG IN ON FRONTLINES
NORTH OF THE CITY -- WITH KABUL WELL WITHIN RANGE OF THEIR
ROCKETS.
A-I-P SAYS WITNESSES SUGGEST THE ROCKETS THAT HIT KABUL SUNDAY
MAY BE MORE POWERFUL THAN THOSE PREVIOUSLY USED BY THE OPPOSITION
FORCES. TALEBAN OFFICIALS TOLD A-I-P THESE WERE RUSSIAN-MADE
"LUNA" ROCKETS. THE TALEBAN SAYS MORE ROCKETS MAY HAVE LANDED IN
OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
THE TALEBAN SAYS IT WILL BOMB COMMANDER MASOOD'S POSITIONS NORTH
OF KABUL IN RETALIATION FOR THE ROCKET ATTACKS TARGETING
RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF THE CITY.
THE A-I-P REPORT SAYS COMMANDER MASOOD'S FORCES ARE BELIEVED TO
BE GETTING READY FOR A LARGE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THEIR TALEBAN
OPPONENTS IN KABUL.
A-I-P QUOTES SOURCES CLOSE TO THE OPPOSITION AS SAYING COMMANDER
MASOOD HAS DEPLOYED FIVE-THOUSAND FIGHTERS, ALONG WITH LONGER
RANGE RUSSIAN MISSILES, IN PREPARATION FOR THE ATTACK.
OPPOSITION SOURCES REPORTEDLY TOLD A-I-P THE ROCKETS FIRED SUNDAY
WERE TESTS OF THE OPPOSITION'S NEW ARSENAL. A TALEBAN SPOKESMAN
SAYS HIS SIDE IS AWARE OF THE OPPOSITION'S PLANS AND HAS
SUFFICIENT FORCES IN PLACE TO DEFEND KABUL.
MEANWHILE, TALEBAN FORCES ARE REPORTED TO BE MAKING FURTHER GAINS
IN FIGHTING IN CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN. A-I-P QUOTES A SPOKESMAN AS
SAYING TALEBAN FIGHTERS HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF SEVERAL KEY
DISTRICTS IN WARDAK PROVINCE, PREVIOUSLY HELD BY THE SHIITE
HEZB-E-WAHDAT GROUP.
ON THE OTHER HAND, A-I-P SAYS HEZB-E-WAHDAT IS MASSING ITS TROOPS
WEST OF BAMIYAN CITY FOR A COUNTER-ATTACK AGAINST THE TALEBAN,
FORCES THAT CAPTURED THE CITY EARLIER THIS MONTH. K .
A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING OF AFGHANISTAN'S NEIGHBORS, ALONG WITH THE
UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA, TO FIND WAYS OF ENDING THE FIGHTING IN
AFGHANISTAN IS SET TO BEGIN MONDAY IN NEW YORK.
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT HAVE BEEN SPURRED BY
FEARS OF ITS ESCALATION BEYOND AFGHANISTAN'S BORDERS. IRAN IS
DEPLOYING THOUSANDS OF TROOPS IN POSSIBLE PREPARATION FOR ACTION
AGAINST THE TALEBAN. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/ENE/RAE
20-Sep-98 2:59 PM EDT (1859 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
