[size=4]Taliban withdrawn from Kabul as NA troops enter city[/size=4]
Updated on 2001-11-13 08:58:48

KABUL NOV 13 (PNS):The Taliban Militia have reportedly withdrawn form Kabul as NA forces moved into the city on Tuesday. Reports indicate that the Northern Alliance Troops have reached the city centre and have occupied several government buildings.

Earlier NA took Herat and Taliban concede losing more provinces

KABUL NOV 13 (PNS): The Northern Alliance forces have halted their advance 10 to 15 kilometres north of Kabul and are awaiting orders from their commanders, reports from the Afghan capital say.

“We will continue our victorious advance to the gates of Kabul. But for the time being we do not intend to enter the city,” opposition spokesman Waisudin Salik has been quoted as saying. The United States and Pakistan have said the Northern Alliance not capture Kabul and instead make way for a representative government.

While some opposition leaders have said they agree, some commanders on the ground were eager to advance. He said the opposition had captured the districts of Qara Bagh, Nejrab and Tagab districts during Monday’s advance from the frontlines 50 kilometres north of the city. The furthest point of advance was along the Old Road leading north from Kabul.

The anti-Taliban forces had gained only four kilometres on the parallel New Road linking Kabul to the town of Bagram. Meanwhile US warplanes, which stopped bombing the Taliban’s front lines shortly before the opposition offensive began around midday (0730 GMT), redirected their efforts to Taliban targets in the capital itself. An AFP reporter in Kabul said three bombs struck the city shortly after dusk, one of which hit the house of the Taliban’s governor for Kabul, Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi. His house was partially destroyed in the attack but witnesses said there were no known casualties. The attack on Kabul follows the Taliban’s dramatic withdrawal from the far north and west in the past four days, as opposition infantry took advantage of weeks of relentless US air strikes.

Washington has called on the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance to surround Kabul and strangle the Taliban’s forces there rather than bring the war to the streets of the city. Earlier reports said Taliban fighters were fleeing positions north of the capital Monday as truckloads of opposition troops advanced, shouting ``God is great.’’

- continued -

Northern Alliance fighters waved their green-and-white flags and plastered pictures of slain military leader Ahmed Shah Massood on their trucks, as they shored up gains in the first significant advance by the opposition on the front north of Kabul. A senior opposition spokesman, said anti-Taliban forces pushed as far as Mir Bacha Kot, about 12 miles north of the capital, and were awaiting further orders. “We are at the gate of Kabul,’’ Khan declared in a satellite telephone conversation. Online adds: Afghan opposition forces early on Monday captured the western Afghan town of Herat, Iranian state radio said. “The Northern Alliance forces captured this city after killing and capturing a number of Taliban forces,” Radio Iran said, quoting its correspondent in the region.

Herat is a large town situated about 150 kilometres from the Iranian border. The radio said earlier that the troops were led by Ismail Khan, a Northern Alliance warlord and former governor of Herat.

PPI adds: Taliban officials have confirmed retreat of their troops from Samnagan Sarpul Saiful and Jauzjan and fall of several provinces. Taliban have been forced to retreat from different areas due to severe bombardment by the American aircraft on Taliban positions in several parts of Afghanistan. Taliban have confirmed fall of three more provinces after the fall of Mazar-e- Sharif to Alliance forces. However they rejected claims about the fall of Faryab province. Meanwhile Northern Alliance has claimed capturing capital of Badghis province. It has expressed the resolute that its forces would soon march on Heart. On the other hand the Taliban have claimed that they withdrew their troops from the three provinces under the war strategy. They have said that their troops are assembling again to retake areas.

Meanwhile the alliance forces also succeeded in controlling Sher Khan port. Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani’s Spokesman, Syed Ibrahim has claimed that the Northern Alliance has also taken control of Imam Sahib city close to Tajikistan border. A spokesman of General Rashid Dostum has claimed that the Alliance forces are now advancing toward the capital city of Baghlan province. The spokesman has said that alliance forces would soon enter in to an important city Pul-e-Khumri.

[url]http://www.paknews.com/top.php?id=1&date1=2001-11-13[/url]

Eric The(Now,OnToKandahar!)Hun[>]:)]

Hey, we are getting more timely news than the locals are.

They mention the NA stopping 10 to 15km from the city and the US bombing targets within the city at DUSK. Well its getting close to noon there now, at dawn the town was abandoned. NA came in unopposed, they didnt feel the need to wait if they were just going to abandon it.

Guess the Paki press are going to drag their feet reporting that for the sake of their mob..

Well, actually the story states that the NA came in and occupied several government buildings. It's just the awkward way stories are written over there I suppose. [>]:)]

Well the part about them ocupying government buildings at dawn on the 13th jibes with what our people are reporting...

BTW. MSNBC is reporting, with great disgust, "unconfirmed reports" that the NA people executed some Taliban they captured around Kabul.

If they are unconfirmed reports, why are they reporting them?  But the rumor will piss of the Pakis

I'll feel better when the reporters leave Islamabad and take up positions in Kabul!

Eric The(MaybeTheirReportingWillGetBetter)Hun[>]:)]

Redneck interuptation: Taliban forces are haulin' ass outta Kabul!

French interuptation: They are doing the honorable thing and fleeing...we do it all the time!

Liberal interuptation: Once again we have a caused a nation's army, pain and suffering. The helpless Taliban are being forced to leave their homes because of our miltary's blatant exertion of evil force. Just "like" Viet nam!

New Yorkers interp.: Good...now, chase them down and kill them all then Fahget aboutit!

This is good news indeed Eric the (on-the-spot-news-report) Hun.

[b][blue]NAKED[/blue][/b]

Shooting reported at Kandahar airport.

I love it when a plan comes together.