M A I N   N E W S

Taliban lose more towns

A group of Western soldiers is led by Afghanistan's opposition Northern Alliance soldiers near the Imam Sahib front near Khoja Bahawuddin town in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. — Reuters photo

Islamabad, November 11
Afghanistan’s opposition Northern Alliance said it captured the northern province of Takhar, including the capital Taloqan, which it lost a year ago, in fighting today, a spokesman said.

“We have just received information from the front that Takhar has fallen,” Northern Alliance spokes-man Ashraf Nadeem said by satellite telephone. “The whole of it,” he said when asked if that included the city of Taloqan.

The Northern Alliance also captured the strategic town of Qala-i-Nau in western Afghanistan today after an intense four-hour battle and was now heading towards the city of Herat, an opposition commander said. “The frontline is now 24 km from the city,” he said.

He said 15 Taliban fighters were killed and about 300 arrested in several hours of fighting for Qala-i-Nau, capital of western Badghis province, all of which was now under opposition control.

The Northern Alliance also captured the strategic town of Pul-i-Khumri, today which commands the main road to Kabul from the north.

“This morning there was a fierce fighting in Pul-i-Khumri and we captured it,” Northern Alliance spokesman Ashraf Nadeem said by satellite telephone.

The Northern Alliance had advanced south into Bamiyan province, just northwest of Kabul, and was in position some 2 km from the provincial capital, Bamiyan, he said.

“We have now reached at the gates of Kabul from the north and our troops can launch an attack for Kabul any time,” he said. Agencies