Military

DATE=11/08/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=AFGHANISTAN / MAZAR-E-SHARIF (L-O)

NUMBER=2-282851

BYLINE=ALISHA RYU

DATELINE=HONG KONG

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Afghanistan's opposition forces are said to be struggling to advance against the Taleban in their efforts to re-capture the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. V-O-A's Alisha Ryu, who recently returned from northern Afghanistan, spoke to sources inside the Northern Alliance Thursday and has the details.

TEXT: Opposition forces under General Rashid Dostum reportedly are facing stiff resistance as they push forward from territory recaptured from the Taleban Wednesday near Mazar-e-Sharif.

An opposition spokesman says it took just seven hours Wednesday for General Dostum's forces to re-take the districts of Keshenday, Shulgara and Aqkoporok , about 25 kilometers south of Mazar city.

He says the fighting ended quickly when Mullah Zaman - the Taleban commander in charge of the Shulgara district - defected to the Northern Alliance, also known as the United Front. Mullah Zaman - believed to be a key player within the Taleban military - reportedly joined General Dostum with 500 of his men.

But the general is now said to be bogged down and facing a heavy Taleban defense around Chashma-e-Shafa village, about 10 kilometers outside Mazar-e-Sharif.

Witnesses there say Mr. Dostum's forces are running low on ammunition and say they may have to retreat if they cannot get re-supplied quickly. The Taleban is said to be reinforcing their front lines in Mazar by the hundreds to prevent further opposition advances.

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press Thursday quoted Teleban officials as saying their forces have already beaten back one opposition offensive south of Mazar-e-Sharif but this could not be independently verified.

As a key supply link to the capital, Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif is a prized city for the Northern Alliance. (Signed)

NEB/HK/AR/KPD/RH