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U.S.-backed Northern Alliance Forces Launch Three-Way Attack on Taliban
KABUL, Nov. 23 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The battle for the Taliban's northern foothold in Kunduz intensified Friday with an attack on three fronts by U.S.-backed Northern Alliance (N.A.) forces, as scores of Taliban fighters reportedly surrendered in the melee, news agencies reported.
Fighting also continued around Kunduz at Khanabad, Pul-e-Bangi and Dasht-e-Arachi, after U.S. warplanes bombed the area overnight, according to the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).
Persistent U.S. bombing raids on Taliban positions have helped the Northern Alliance and tribal warlords claim a series of quick victories, including the capturing of Kabul.
NA forces Friday reported progress in dislodging Taliban troops from hillside positions near Kunduz.
Sadreddine, a Northern Alliance commander, said Friday that the coalition's forces had "chased the Taliban from the hills" dominating Khanabad, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) east of Kunduz, where thousands of pro-Taliban troops have been under siege for nearly two weeks, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The Alliance claimed Thursday that most of the estimated 3,000 to 9,000 Taliban fighters trapped in Kunduz had offered to lay down their arms.
Alliance commanders had claimed that the main stumbling block to negotiations was the do-or-die resistance of some 2,000 Pakistanis, Arabs and Chechens who were dug in alongside the Afghan Taliban.
"Most Afghan Taliban have agreed to surrender, but the foreign fighters will not lay down their arms; negotiations are continuing," said Alliance general, Mohammad Daoud.
However, the Taliban denied claims that its fighters in Kunduz had agreed to surrender.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General George Robertson warned Thursday that the Taliban army, which had controlled Kabul since 1996, was "not yet defeated," and British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned against letting Taliban forces trapped in Kunduz escape through a negotiated deal, BBC's online news service reported.
The United States has made it clear it does not want any of the defenders trapped in the city, including some 10,000 foreign fighters loyal to Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, to escape.
"My hope is that they will either be killed or taken prisoner," said U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
In another development, the Taliban insisted Friday it remained firmly in control of southern Kandahar and dismissed claims that handover negotiations were under way, AIP reported.
Reports of negotiations were "baseless," and Taliban spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was still in Kandahar, AIP said, quoting Taliban spokesman, Mullah Tayyab Agha.
"Mullah Mohammad Omar is still in Kandahar and holds the command. He is in contact with his fighters," Agha said. "We will defend Kandahar and there has been no negotiation over handing over Kandahar."
Pashtun tribal elder Hamid Karzai said Thursday he had been in telephone contact with Taliban leaders seeking talks to resolve the standoff at Kandahar.
"They asked me to negotiate and to decide on a place where we could negotiate," he said. He added that Omar was "perfectly aware of these telephone conversations."
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