Hours after the expiry of their deadline for surrender of thousands of Taliban fighters holed up in Kunduz, anti-Taliban forces moved close to the northern Afghan city raising fears of a bloodbath even as fighting erupted near Kabul. In a diplomatic blow, Taliban lost its last foreign representation when Pakistan ordered the beleaguered militia to close its embassy in Islamabad. Pakistan, which two days ago derecognised the regime after its collapse, was asked by the US on Wednesday to close Taliban embassy and expel its diplomat because their presence was no longer useful. The US warships have joined in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida men by stopping and searching vessels leaving Pakistan to prevent their escape. American commandos inside Afghanistan now numbering a few hundred have set up a few check points to block the movement of supplies and trap fleeing Taliban and Al Qaida troops while US aircraft continued to pound Kunduz and Kandahar. Amidst conflicting reports of a deal for the surrender of Kunduz, the militia's last bastion in the north, the Alliance moved their forces saying that they were ready to launch an all-out offensive if Taliban fighters who included nearly 3,000 Pakistanis, Arabs and Chechens failed to give up before the end of the day. The Northern Alliance forces on Wednesday had given time till this morning for Taliban fighters to surrender.
Bureau Report