| Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday summoned a powerful militia commander to Kabul following factional fighting in western Afghanistan weeks ahead of landmark presidential elections, an official spokesman said. Commander Amanullah Khan was brought to the Afghan capital with his consent following clashes in Shindand district in Herat province, presidential spokesman Jawad Ludin told AFP. Fighting between Amanullah Khan's forces and those of powerful warlord Ismail Khan left scores dead earlier this month in a battle for control of districts around Herat city. Ludin did not say who Amanullah Khan would meet in Kabul or what discussions in the capital would involve. The fighting broke out Aug. 14 after Amanullah Khan's troops took control of a key military airport in Shindand district 185 kilometers south of Herat and raged for four days until the US stepped in to broker a truce. After the clashes, Karzai sent in troops from the fledgling Afghan National Army, ostensibly to come to the aid of embattled governor Ismail Khan and ensure stability in the province. |