Posted on 11/10/2003 11:23:40 AM PST by HAL9000
KABUL, Nov 10 (AFP) - Afghan authorities have lost control of at least seven districts in troubled southeast Zabul province, the deputy governor said Monday.
But tribal chiefs and elders, rather than resurgent Taliban forces, were in control of the areas, Mawlawy Mohammad Omar said.
"There is no government control over Atghar, Naw Bahar, Shinkay and Shamazai in the south of the province," deputy Zabul governor Omar told AFP by satellite phone from the provincial capital Qalat.
"There are some other districts such as Shahjoy, Daychopan and Khak-e-Afghan where the government has no control but the Taliban do not control these areas either."
He said Taliban were fighters were moving around the districts on motorbikes.
"But they aren't powerful enough to threaten the administration," Omar said.
Government militiamen were unable to go to the seven districts due to a lack of men and equipment, he said.
He said government forces withdrew last month when US-led coalition forces disarmed them due to "wrong information" from the governor of southeast Ghazni province.
"Government troops in Naw Bahar district left the area when Americans detained the district chief and disarmed his men," Omar said.
He said government forces could return to the districts if the coalition returned their weapons.
Omar had earlier told the private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press that "Taliban or their supporters" were in the districts, and that they were preparing to try and take Qalat.
Zabul, which neighbours Pakistan, is on the frontline of increasing attacks by Taliban fighters regrouping in southern Afghanistan and in Pakistani border regions.
Around 150 suspected Taliban were killed in September during a major joint US-Afghan offensive against mountain hideouts in Zabul.
A powerful bomb went off Saturday at the headquarters of Zabul's governor but no-one was hurt in the explosion or in another blast at an arms depot.
The province is deemed "high risk" by the United Nations, which has banned its personnel from working there.
UN Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno told the Security Council on October 24 that the Taliban had established de facto control in "several border districts" neighbouring Pakistan, including Barmal and Gayan in Paktika province and Maruf in Kandahar.
Zabul, which is adjacent to Paktika and Kandahar, was a former Taliban stronghold.
Saudi Arabia....terror bombing
Sudan .....today.
Qatar and Bahrain ....Saturday.
I'm starting to get a real bad feeling.....there will be one that leaks thru..
Face it, Dog. You always have a real bad feeling. :-) But you should. There are lots of terrorists that want to kill us. Just keep in mind that every day we capture and kill more of them. We have no other choice, other than to sit back and wait. Not my preferred option.
Pssst. Most of us live in the real world and know that our borders will NEVER be 100% secure.
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