Kabul: The Taliban gained control of
several villages in northeastern Afghanistan on Monday after
two days of gun-battles with another Islamist group that ended
when nearly 70 of the rival militants retreated and
surrendered to government forces nearby, officials said.
The fierce fighting, which left at least 50 dead from
both sides, was a turf war between the Taliban and insurgent
allies Hezb-e-Islami loyal to regional warlord Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar that also might have been triggered by Hekmatyar's
apparent willingness to join the government-led peace process,
officials said.
One of the Hezb-e-Islami militants who defected said
Monday that the fighters in the area are now willing to join
the government and fight the Taliban in the northeastern
province of Baghlan where the battles ended yesterday.
"If the government protects us and supports us, we
will finish the Taliban in Baghlan," said Noorullaq, one of 11
Hezb-e-Islami commanders who turned their weapons over to the
government. He spoke at a news conference Monday in the
provincial capital of Pul-e-Khumri.
The government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has
little control in the area of Baghlan where the fighting broke
out. Afghan police amassed on the edge of the battle zone, set
up mobile hospitals and were offering medical care to any
fighters willing to defect.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, March 08, 2010, 17:28