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Taliban take over UN offices in Kandahar
Afghanistan`s Taliban militia and their allies have taken over most United Nations offices and vehicles in their southern bastion of Kandahar, UN spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said Friday.
Afghanistan's Taliban militia and their allies have taken over most United Nations offices and vehicles in their southern bastion of Kandahar, UN spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said Friday.
She said the Islamic militia's troops and other "armed elements" had not removed UN markings from the vehicles and the world body's flags still flew over the offices which had been occupied.
It was not clear what the Taliban were using the offices for, but they contain valuable communications facilities and other equipment needed for various UN humanitarian projects. "The reports coming out of Kandahar indicate that the Taliban have taken over the offices recently," Bunker told a news conference.
"Most UN vehicles continue to be used by armed elements."
Thousands of fanatical Arab volunteers fight alongside the Taliban, which are allied to Saudi-born extremist Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda alleged terrorist network.
Its forces have been targeted by US-led airstrikes since October 7, in retaliation for the terrorist atrocities in the United States last month which have been blamed on bin Laden.
Pentagon officials have accused the Taliban of hiding its forces among the civilian population to avoid air attack.
Bunker said the law and order situation in Taliban-held Afghanistan was steadily deteriorating.
On Wednesday night a "group of armed men" broke into the office of an unidentified non-governmental relief agency's office in the capital Kabul and stole equipment after tying up and beating a guard, she said.
Foreign aid workers left Taliban territory shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, but the UN and other agencies have been trying to continue relief efforts with local staff. Bureau Report
She said the Islamic militia's troops and other "armed elements" had not removed UN markings from the vehicles and the world body's flags still flew over the offices which had been occupied.
It was not clear what the Taliban were using the offices for, but they contain valuable communications facilities and other equipment needed for various UN humanitarian projects. "The reports coming out of Kandahar indicate that the Taliban have taken over the offices recently," Bunker told a news conference.
"Most UN vehicles continue to be used by armed elements."
Thousands of fanatical Arab volunteers fight alongside the Taliban, which are allied to Saudi-born extremist Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda alleged terrorist network.
Its forces have been targeted by US-led airstrikes since October 7, in retaliation for the terrorist atrocities in the United States last month which have been blamed on bin Laden.
Pentagon officials have accused the Taliban of hiding its forces among the civilian population to avoid air attack.
Bunker said the law and order situation in Taliban-held Afghanistan was steadily deteriorating.
On Wednesday night a "group of armed men" broke into the office of an unidentified non-governmental relief agency's office in the capital Kabul and stole equipment after tying up and beating a guard, she said.
Foreign aid workers left Taliban territory shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, but the UN and other agencies have been trying to continue relief efforts with local staff. Bureau Report