Anti-Taliban forces say key Afghan gorge captured

Taliban forces suffered heavy losses in recent fighting

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Afghanistan's opposition say they have pushed back the Taliban and captured a key gorge in the northern province of Takhar, near the Tajikistan border.

Dr Abdullah, a spokesman for opposition forces led by Ahmad Shah Masood, told Reuters their forces seized Farkhar gorge and some 30 adjacent posts.

The gorge lies east of Takhar provincial capital, Taloqan, and is a key obstacle to any Taliban advance on the opposition capital of Faizabad.

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"We took it in heavy fighting this morning. Its capture is not an easy work," Abdullah said. Fierce fighting began in the area after Masood staged an attack against the Taliban positions early in the morning, he added.

Abdullah described the opposition gains in Taloqan as of "high significance" since Masood's loyalists were driven out of the area by the Taliban almost a year ago.

Opposition spokesmen, however, did not specify the number of casualties.

The Taliban forces "suffered a heavy death toll" in the latest fighting, which is the heaviest in a year.

The latest round of fighting, which erupted at the end of last month, spread to various areas of northern Afghanistan.

Both the warring factions appear to be focused on Takhar, which lies on a supply route of Masood forces from Tajikistan.

Opposition toppled

Takhar area is also adjacent to Badakhshan province, the political heartland of opposition groups which the Taliban toppled in 1996.

Abdullah said clashes continued in some southern districts of Balkh province, where Uzbek warlord general Abdur Rashid Dostum holds some isolated areas.

"The Taliban are carrying out repeated air strikes to dislodge Dostum from Zari and couple of other districts which he secured early this week," Abdullah said.

Dostum draws support from his Uzbek ethnic group in northern Afghanistan.

In Kabul, Taliban officials confirmed heavy fighting in the area but rejected any loss of territory.

The Taliban movement controls most of Afghanistan

The hardline Islamic Taliban movement controls more than 90 percent of Afghanistan.

Forces loyal to Masood are believed to be last barrier in the way of the Taliban's complete control of the war-shattered country.

Around 700,000 Afghans have been displaced by relentless fighting, drought, famine, according to the United Nations.

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