Afghan factions battle during Rumsfeld visit

THE WASHINGTON POST

Originally published Sunday, April 28, 2002

KHOST, Afghanistan -- Factional fighting among rival militia leaders erupted Saturday across eastern Afghanistan for the first time since January, killing and injuring dozens of people and complicating efforts by the U.S.-led military coalition to hunt down al-Qaida and Taliban fighters.

Rockets rained down Saturday on the provincial capital of Gardez, about 95 miles south of Kabul, as two well-armed camps fought for control of the city, while to the east here in the border town of Khost competing gunmen faced off in a tense confrontation at the police station. Both cities are considered on the front line of the U.S. operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida.

The renewed hostilities cast a cloud over Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's visit to Kabul Saturday and underscored the difficulties facing U.S. forces as they pursue bin Laden at the same time as Afghan factions take up arms against each other. The United States has provided money to various groups in this part of Afghanistan to enlist their aid in finding and destroying any remaining al-Qaida or Taliban concentrations, but has been unable to quell their rivalries for long.

Rumsfeld, who arrived a day after the Kabul airport was hit by a rocket attack, warned of a possible spring offensive from regrouping followers of bin Laden, although he revealed little about the search for the al-Qaida leader and any remaining forces. "Our goal has been to kill or capture all of them and we've been hard at it," he said at a news conference in the capital with interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai.

The latest outbreak of violence traced its origin to Bacha Khan, the militia leader who dominates eastern Afghanistan. After trying to claim the governorship of Paktia province by force in January, leaving 60 people dead, Khan was dismissed by Karzai. Afghans say Khan has been plotting his comeback, and he vowed during the battle of Shahikot, in March, to renew his campaign against his enemies after the U.S.-led operation.

Fighting broke out between his forces and those of the Paktia province government installed by Karzai in the regional capital of Gardez.

Both sides accused the other of starting the shooting. Khan's side said its base outside of Gardez was attacked at 10 p.m. and two checkpoints initially seized, but then the assailants were repulsed.

Government officials said Khan's troops opened fire first around 1:30 a.m. and later began lobbing rockets at Gardez from nearby mountains.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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