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| Taliban Fail to Oust Opposition from Northern Stronghold: Reports |
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FRI, OCT 19, 2001
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Afghanistan's ruling Taliban continued exchanging fire with opposition Northern Alliance near its northern stronghold Mazar-i-Sharif but did not make any advance, Russian news agencies quoted opposition officials in Tajikistan as saying Thursday.
The Taliban were said to have failed to oust opposition forces under field commander Ato Mohammad from positions five to six kilometers southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Following an exchange of fire that lasted nearly four hours early Thursday, Taliban units were reported to retreat to their initial positions.
The sources said the Taliban were moving reinforcements into their garrison in Mazar-i-Sharif, which now have some 1,500 men, an equal number with the opposition side.
The opposition alliance has repeatedly reported their advances toward the city this week.
Mazar-i-Sharif, located some 80 kilometers from the Tajik-Afghan border, is the largest city in northern Afghanistan and is dominated by minority ethnic Uzbeks. The Taliban captured the city in 1998.
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