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Six killed in fighting in northern Afghanistan: Official
Mazar-i-Sharif (Afghanistan), May 18: Six militiamen were killed and 10 wounded in fighting between rival factions in northern Afghanistan, an official said today.
Mazar-i-Sharif (Afghanistan), May 18: Six militiamen were killed and 10 wounded in fighting between rival factions in northern Afghanistan, an official said today.
Junbish forces captured Goshfendi district of Sar-i-pul province last evening, 100 km southwest of Mazar, after three days of fighting Jamiat troops, said General Abdul Sabor, spokesman for Jamiat chief and Army 7th Corps commander Atta Mohammad.
"Finally last night at 7:00 pm the district was captured by the Junbish forces who had gathered around Goshfendi from three surrounding districts," Sabor told a news agency.
"Six of our men were killed, 10 wounded and more than 150 houses and the bazaar were looted by Junbish forces.
"About 160 families left Goshfendi and fled to Sangcharak district. Now our forces are not in Goshfendi district."
He said separate clashes between Junbish and Jamiat in Dara-i-Sauf yesterday produced no casualties.
Junbish official Majeed Rozi, deputy of General Abdul Rashid Dostam, denied there was any fighting in the region.
"In fact there wasn't any serious fighting in Sar-i-pul," he said. "Smaller clashes in Goshfendi have been going on for months."
He claimed the people of the district rose against the Jamiat commander yesterday and forced him to leave.
"There was no looting and no one was killed," he said.
At least five militiamen were killed in clashes between the rival factions on Thursday and Friday in Darr-i-sauf district, Samangan province, 100 km south of Mazar.
The Jamiat, a mainly Tajik group, and the Uzbek Jumbesh militia, led by former Communist general and current deputy defence minister Dostam, are fighting for control of the north and of Afghanistan's third city, Mazar-i-Sharif.
Bureau Report
"Finally last night at 7:00 pm the district was captured by the Junbish forces who had gathered around Goshfendi from three surrounding districts," Sabor told a news agency.
"Six of our men were killed, 10 wounded and more than 150 houses and the bazaar were looted by Junbish forces.
"About 160 families left Goshfendi and fled to Sangcharak district. Now our forces are not in Goshfendi district."
He said separate clashes between Junbish and Jamiat in Dara-i-Sauf yesterday produced no casualties.
Junbish official Majeed Rozi, deputy of General Abdul Rashid Dostam, denied there was any fighting in the region.
"In fact there wasn't any serious fighting in Sar-i-pul," he said. "Smaller clashes in Goshfendi have been going on for months."
He claimed the people of the district rose against the Jamiat commander yesterday and forced him to leave.
"There was no looting and no one was killed," he said.
At least five militiamen were killed in clashes between the rival factions on Thursday and Friday in Darr-i-sauf district, Samangan province, 100 km south of Mazar.
The Jamiat, a mainly Tajik group, and the Uzbek Jumbesh militia, led by former Communist general and current deputy defence minister Dostam, are fighting for control of the north and of Afghanistan's third city, Mazar-i-Sharif.
Bureau Report