DATE=2/25/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245949
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AYAZ GUL
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: FRESH FIGHTING HAS ERUPTED IN CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN WHERE
OPPOSITION FORCES ARE SAID TO HAVE CAPTURED A KEY DISTRICT HELD
BY THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT. AYAZ GUL HAS THE STORY FROM NEIGHBORING
PAKISTAN.
TEXT: AN INDEPENDENT AFGHAN NEWS AGENCY, A-I-P (AFGHAN ISLAMIC
PRESS), SAYS FIGHTING IS RAGING IN THE CENTRAL BAMIYAN PROVINCE,
AFTER THE TALEBAN LAUNCHED A MAJOR ATTACK (THURSDAY) TO RECAPTURE
-- YAKOWLANG -- A DISTRICT IT LOST TO OPPOSITION FIGHTERS.
THE PAKISTAN-BASED NEWS AGENCY SAYS BOTH SIDES ARE USING HEAVY
WEAPONS IN THE FIGHTING, LOCATED ABOUT 100-KILOMETERS WEST OF THE
PROVINCIAL CAPITAL CITY, BAMIYAN.
THE NEWS AGENCY REPORTS OPPOSITION FIGHTERS OF THE SHI'ITE
HEZB-I-WAHDAT FACTION -- WHO HAD FLED THE TALEBAN'S ADVANCE INTO
THE PROVINCE LAST SEPTEMBER -- SWOOPED DOWN FROM THEIR MOUNTAIN
HIDEOUTS AND, IN A SWIFT ATTACK, CAPTURED THE DISTRICT CENTER.
THERE IS NO INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION OF THE FIGHTING. A
SPOKESMAN FOR THE TALEBAN SAYS THE MOVEMENT IS NOT AWARE OF
FIGHTING IN THE PROVINCE.
CLASHES BETWEEN THE TALEBAN AND OPPOSITION FORCES HAVE ALSO BEEN
REPORTED IN TWO OTHER PROVINCES (LAGHMAN AND SAMANGAN).
AS WINTER RECEDES, AFGHAN OBSERVERS EXPECT FIGHTING TO INTENSIFY
ACROSS NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN WHERE ANTI-TALEBAN GROUPS AND FORCES
ARE CONCENTRATED.
// REST OPT //
THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT CONTROLS ABOUT 90-PERCENT OF THE WAR-TORN
COUNTRY. THE HARD-LINE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT IS FIGHTING TO TAKE
CONTROL OF THE REMAINING PART OF THE COUNTRY IN THE HANDS OF THE
FORMER GOVERNMENT, WHICH WAS OUSTED BY THE TALEBAN FROM KABUL, IN
1996. (SIGNED)
NEB/AG/RAE
25-Feb-99 8:56 AM EST (1356 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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