Afghan tribesmen, backed by US airstrikes, pushed on toward Kandahar, the Taliban`s last major stronghold and spiritual home. Hundreds of U.S. troops remained on alert at a nearby desert base on Saturday.
In Washington, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "This fight will continue until Kandahar is, in fact, a free city, as is the rest of Afghanistan."
In recent weeks, the Taliban fled other Afghan cities further north when challenged by opposition forces. And, tribal forces near Kandahar said they had captured dozens of Taliban fighters who surrendered despite orders by their leaders to fight to the death.
However, it is far from certain that Kandahar will also fall quickly.

One tribal figure, Mohammed Anwar, said 300 Arab fighters loyal to prime terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden`s al-Qaida movement might be moving through the region and could counterattack.
Pace said some Pashtun tribal leaders were trying to convince the Taliban to surrender Kandahar. But U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stressed that Washington won`t accept any capitulation deal that gives amnesty or safe passage to al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, including the Islamic militia`s supreme commander, Mullah Mohammed Omar. Bureau Report