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DATE=11/14/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-241669
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE= ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: THE OPPOSITION NORTHERN ALLIANCE SAYS IT HAS MADE ADVANCES
IN FIGHTING AGAINST THE TALEBAN IN AFGHANISTAN. THE TALEBAN 
CONFIRMS ONE LOSS BUT IS DENYING OTHERS. SARAH HORNER HAS THE 
DETAILS.
TEXT: THE PAKISTAN-BASED AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS (A-I-P) QUOTES 
SOURCES WHO SAY OPPOSITION COMMANDER, AHMAD SHAH MASSOOD, HAS 
CAPTURED TWO KEY TOWNS IN NORTH-EASTERN AFGHANISTAN -- BURKA IN 
BAGHLAN PROVINCE, AND ISHKEMISH IN TAKHAR PROVINCE. 
THE SOURCES SAY COMMANDER MASSOOD'S FORCES ARE NOW HEADING TOWARD
THE STRATEGIC TOWN OF NAHREEN, 200 KILOMETERS NORTH OF THE AFGHAN
CAPITAL, KABUL.
BUT, A-I-P REPORTS TALEBAN SOURCES ARE STRONGLY REJECTING THE 
REPORTED LOSSES OF BURKA AND ISHKEMISH.
THE SOURCES DO SAY TALEBAN FORCES HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK FROM THE 
NORTHERN CITY OF TALOQAN AND THEY SAY FIGHTING IS TAKING PLACE AT
BANGI, ON THE BORDER BETWEEN TAKHAR AND KUNDUZ PROVINCES.
A-I-P SAYS THE TALEBAN ARE NOW 15-KILOMETERS FROM TALOQAN, THE 
SAME POSITION THE FRONT-LINE WAS ONE YEAR AGO.
THERE HAS BEEN FIERCE FIGHTING AROUND TALOQAN SINCE LAST 
WEDNESDAY WHEN TALEBAN SOLDIERS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK TOWARD THE 
CITY.
COMMANDER MASSOOD'S COUNTER-ATTACK WILL BE SPURRED BY THE NEED TO
RETRIEVE AND PROTECT HIS SUPPLY ROUTES AHEAD OF THE FIRST SNOWS 
OF THE SEVERE AFGHAN WINTER.
THE TALEBAN CONTROL NEARLY ALL OF AFGHANISTAN. COMMANDER MASSOOD 
CONTROLS THE SOLE REMAINING OPPOSITION FORCE AND POCKETS OF 
TERRITORY IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY. COMMANDER MASSOOD'S FELLOW
ALLIANCE LEADERS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN WERE 
DEFEATED BY TALEBAN OFFENSIVES THERE IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
MOST OF THE LEADERS HAVE FLED TO NEIGHBORING IRAN, BUT ONE WHO 
DID NOT LEAVE REPORTEDLY SURRENDERED TO THE TALEBAN ON FRIDAY. 
NEWS AGENCIES SAY MOHAMMED AKBARI, WHO LED A BREAKAWAY FACTION OF
THE SHI'ITE MUSLIM HEZB-WAHDAT GROUP, GAVE HIMSELF UP AFTER 
HOLDING OUT IN THE HILLS OF CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN FOR THE PAST TWO 
MONTHS. THE AGENCIES SAY THE INCREASING COLD AND A LACK OF 
SUPPLIES PERSUADED HIM TO GIVE UP THE FIGHT. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/TMD/GE
14-Nov-98 8:38 AM EST (1338 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.