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Lull in fighting in eastern Afghanistan

A hospital in Gardez reported 16 dead bodies from the fighting

GARDEZ, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A tense calm has settled over this eastern Afghan city of Gardez as two rival Pashtun forces took a break from fighting.

The shura, a council representing all of the clans and tribes of Paktia province, remained in control of the city on Friday.

The guns have been silent since 3 p.m. Thursday (1030 GMT) following two days of fighting between shura forces and a rival Pashtun force headed by Bacha Kahn, who has been appointed acting governor of Paktia province by the Afghanistan interim administration.

Khan's forces had retreated to the east Thursday.

Early Friday afternoon, very few people could be seen around Gardez and the city remained tense, but functional.

A local hospital reported 16 dead bodies from the fighting this week.

A "peace convoy" of Pashtun leaders had met Thursday as negotiators from the two sides tried to settle their differences.

The fighting between shura forces and Khan's fighters has taken place as Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai asked the U.N. Security Council to extend the mandate for international security forces in the war-ravaged nation.

Unification

VIDEO Rival Afghan commanders are fighting for control of the strategically important town of Gardez in eastern Afghanistan. CNN's Tim Lister reports. Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

The power struggle also comes as Pashtun tribes attempt to regroup throughout the war-ravaged country and as the Afghan interim government attempts to foster civil stability to avoid the type of tribal infighting that led to the ousted Taliban regime's rise to power.

One of the biggest tasks for the interim Afghan government is unifying a nation that has been traditionally ruled by tribes directed by warlords.

Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.

Fighting began Wednesday as the peace convoy held meetings in Gardez.

Pashtun leader Syed Hamid Gailani has publicly challenged Khan's legitimacy, saying that after consultations with various Paktia groups the peace convoy leaders concluded the Paktia people oppose Khan.

Khan had issued a deadline Wednesday for the peace convoy to leave the region or else he would capture Gardez by force.

Deadline

Just hours after the deadline passed, heavy fighting was reported in the southern part of the city between Khan's forces and local residents.

"We have determined that Khan was working against the interests of the Pashtun nation at a time when five Pashtun provinces of Afghanistan have shown keen interest in supporting the forces of peace," Gailani told CNN.

In an attempt to avert a military confrontation, tribal leader Sulayman Zai, whose forces lie between Khowst and Gardez, had offered to stand as a buffer between Khan and the peace convoy.

Gailani has been traveling around the region over the past week in an effort to unite Pashtuns, who are split among three factions.

Greater Paktia, which was split into three provinces by the Taliban, is considered the heartland of the Pashtun people.

The peace convoy is now in neighboring Paktika province.

Gailani signed the Bonn Agreement last month on behalf of the Pashtun delegation. The agreement helped establish the current Afghan interim government.