Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar agreed on Thursday to hand over control of Kandahar to an opposition commander, the Afghan Islamic Press reports.
The Pakistan-based agency quoted an unidentified Taliban spokesman as saying control of the city would be transferred to Mullah Naqib Ullah, a former guerrilla leader against the Soviets who is leading one of several groups fighting the Taliban.
The leader of Afghanistan`s new interim government said on Thursday he is offering a general amnesty to Taliban fighters who surrender but not the movement`s supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.
Hamid Karzai spoke to The Associated Press by satellite telephone from his base barely 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Taliban bastion of Kandahar.
In an interview with APTN, the brother of Hamid Karzai said that the new interim government leader told him that the Taliban surrender is imminent. Ahmed Karzai says Hamid held a second straight day of talks on Thursday with top Taliban officials at a location near Kandahar to discuss his amnesty offer.
He says his brother confirmed to him by phone on Thursday morning that the meeting was very fruitful.
Ahmed Karzai also confirmed his brother was slightly injured on Wednesday by a U-S bomb that killed three US soldiers.
He said his brother has stitches on his face, and that three of his brother`s commander`s were killed in the incident.
Bureau Report