Abdul Dostum and Atta Mohammed Forces Clash, Again
Fighting erupted Wednesday between rival warlords who both claim allegiance to the government of President Hamid Karzai, and an official of one of the warring groups said as many as 60 people were killed and scores more wounded. The soldiers were massing around the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, said Gen. Abdul Sabur, a spokesman for Atta Mohammedâs Jamiat-e-Islami faction. Sabur said hundreds of fighters loyal to northern Uzbek commander Abdul Rashid Dostum began battling Attaâs supporters about midday, and the battle continued late into the night.
He said 60 people were killed in that fighting, which involved tanks, heavy artillery and other weapons.
Itâs like the Sharks vs the Jets, with crew served weapons.
Shouldn't both of them be in Zabul or Uruzgan, committing atrocities? | "The fighting is very intense," Sabur said. "People are very scared. Shops and markets have all closed." It was impossible to immediately confirm Saburâs account, and representatives of Dostumâs faction, known as Junbish, could not be reached. The two sides have clashed repeatedly in the past two years, though they are nominally both loyal to Karzaiâs central government. Countless efforts by the United Nations and the Afghan government to mediate a peaceful resolution have failed.
Itâll end when either Dostum or Mohammed are killed and their boys have to go looking for work elsewhere.
It was not clear what sparked the latest fighting.
It donât take much.
A second Jamiat spokesman, Ashraf Nadim, said fighters loyal to Dostum launched a separate attack in Maimana city, in the neighboring northern province of Faryab. He said it was not clear how many people had been killed there.
Posted by: Steve 2003-10-08 |