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Afghanistan
Warlords fighting it out at Gardez
2002-01-30
  • Heavy fighting erupted in Gardez as rival warlords battled for control of Paktia province. US warplanes were seen circling as mortar, rocket and small arms fire rocked the town of some 50,000 people and hundreds of panicked residents fled on foot and in trucks. The fighting appeared to be concentrated on the governor's mansion, where flashes of mortar explosions and flames lit up the sky as night fell. After dark, the mortar fire was replaced by the incessant staccato of anti-aircraft fire while the flash of exploding rockets lit up the town.

    Fleeing residents said men loyal to rival ethnic Pashtun warlords Padsha Khan and Saif Ullah began fighting around midday. Khan was appointed recently to take up the governorship of Paktia province by Hamid Karzai. But Ullah had already taken control of Gardez following the withdrawal of the Taliban. Khan said around 8:00 pm local time that his forces had captured most of the town apart from the police headquarters and Balai Haisar, a fort set on a hillock in the town centre. He said he had sent 800 fighters to Gardez armed with machineguns, Kalshnikovs, rocket launchers and BM-12 multiple rocket launchers.

    Shopkeeper Zahir Shah said as he fled the town that Khan's forces had arrived in the town around noon. "They went to the governor's house and attempted to raise the new flag (representing the interim government) but some of Saif Ullah's soldiers started firing on them from a hill."
    Oh, God. The temptation would be to kill them both and give the governor's position to the first left-handed man who walks by.
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

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