Asserting that Taliban have been routed and terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda is on the run, the US on Friday carried out one of its heaviest bombardments on the militia's last stronghold of Kandahar with anti-Taliban forces closing in on the city raising the possibility of a ground war. US marines continued to arrive in Afghanistan with more than 1,000 troops being deployed at a desert airstrip within a striking distance of the city while others were positioned at two other places in the north.
With the threat of a ground offensive looming large, many residents of Kandahar, including Taliban officials, are reported to have fled the city as efforts to negotiate surrender of militia commanders continued.
Amidst reports of some Taliban fighters abandoning the checkpoints and fleeing into the countryside, Hamid Karzai, the Pashtun opposition military commander, said his forces have surrounded the city but not entered Kandahar. Northern Allliance Defence Minister Abdul Qassim Fahim told a private TV channel that he expected Kandahar will most likely fall in a surrender negotiated by Karzai as Taliban supremo Mullah Mohammad Omar and bin Laden have lost their regular forces.
They move very secretly and travel from one place to another very secretly. If Kandahar and suburbs are captured, it is my strong opinion that Osama and Omar will be arrested, he said.
In my belief there will be no fighting, and they will surrender under the responsibility of Karzai, Fahim said.
Bureau Report