AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN ARMY CAPTURE CITY OF MAZAR-E-SHARIF
8.1 هزار بار بازدید -
9 سال پیش
-
(24 May 1997) Natural Sound
(24 May 1997) Natural Sound
The Taliban Islamic army has taken the stronghold of Afghanistan's northern warlord, General Rashid Dostum.
The capture of Mazar-e-Sharif leaves only a few pockets of resistance by the former government that was ousted from Kabul in September.
It unites nearly all of Afghanistan under one authority for the first time since the Soviet army withdrew in 1989.
Rashid Dostum's fighters were still holding the front line on Friday hese pictures come one day before Dostum's army all but collapsed as several units mutinied.
The first town to go was Shebergan -- Dostum's military headquarters 125 kilometres (80 miles) west of Mazar-e-Sharif.
The air base was seized by General Malik Pahlawan, who earlier this week was the first of several senior military figures to defect to the Taliban.
The fall of the air base put Mazar-e-Sharif within reach, across an open, desolate plain with no barrier against an attacking force.
On Friday, Shebergan appeared calm but tense.
Shortly before it fell, Dostum's Air Force Chief, General Jamil, and two other pilots flew their jet fighters to the Taliban-controlled capital and announced their defection.
Two days before the fall of Mazar-e-Sharif, life continued as usual.
But the Taliban's regime will dramatically alter the way of life in this relatively liberal city.
Until Saturday, Mazar-e-Sharif was the only major city in the country where a woman could walk on the street without being covered from head to toe.
The Taliban grew out of Afghan refugee camps.
It has earned a reputation for its adherence to an uncompromisingly fundamentalist interpretation of Islam.
Its religious army, inspired by strict Islamic teaching, began its march across Afghanistan three years ago from its base in the south.
It captured territory from local warlords and guerrilla forces, usually without a fight and finally reached the capital, Kabul in September last year.
Dostum -- allied with Commander Ahmed Shah Massood -- held firm against the Taliban in the north throughout the winter, but this spring cracks appeared in Dostum's command structure.
In this show of strength in April, Dostum wheeled out his heavy artillery.
But the hardware was not enough to shore up his military.
General Malik Pahlawan's defection earlier this week set off a string of defections and weakened Dostum's defences.
In the end, Dostum's cavalry were unable to ride against the tide of war-weariness which has sized this country after nearly 20 years of conflict.
The Taliban's latest victory unites almost all of Afghanistan for the first time since the Soviet's withdrew in 1989.
Takhar, parts of Kunduz and Baghlan are still outside Taliban control.
The largest single block of territory is the northwestern province of Badakhshan which is held by Ahmad Shah Massood, the defence chief of the government ousted from Kabul last year.
It now remains to be seen whether Massood alone will be able to hold firm against the tide of the Taliban's religious army.
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The Taliban Islamic army has taken the stronghold of Afghanistan's northern warlord, General Rashid Dostum.
The capture of Mazar-e-Sharif leaves only a few pockets of resistance by the former government that was ousted from Kabul in September.
It unites nearly all of Afghanistan under one authority for the first time since the Soviet army withdrew in 1989.
Rashid Dostum's fighters were still holding the front line on Friday hese pictures come one day before Dostum's army all but collapsed as several units mutinied.
The first town to go was Shebergan -- Dostum's military headquarters 125 kilometres (80 miles) west of Mazar-e-Sharif.
The air base was seized by General Malik Pahlawan, who earlier this week was the first of several senior military figures to defect to the Taliban.
The fall of the air base put Mazar-e-Sharif within reach, across an open, desolate plain with no barrier against an attacking force.
On Friday, Shebergan appeared calm but tense.
Shortly before it fell, Dostum's Air Force Chief, General Jamil, and two other pilots flew their jet fighters to the Taliban-controlled capital and announced their defection.
Two days before the fall of Mazar-e-Sharif, life continued as usual.
But the Taliban's regime will dramatically alter the way of life in this relatively liberal city.
Until Saturday, Mazar-e-Sharif was the only major city in the country where a woman could walk on the street without being covered from head to toe.
The Taliban grew out of Afghan refugee camps.
It has earned a reputation for its adherence to an uncompromisingly fundamentalist interpretation of Islam.
Its religious army, inspired by strict Islamic teaching, began its march across Afghanistan three years ago from its base in the south.
It captured territory from local warlords and guerrilla forces, usually without a fight and finally reached the capital, Kabul in September last year.
Dostum -- allied with Commander Ahmed Shah Massood -- held firm against the Taliban in the north throughout the winter, but this spring cracks appeared in Dostum's command structure.
In this show of strength in April, Dostum wheeled out his heavy artillery.
But the hardware was not enough to shore up his military.
General Malik Pahlawan's defection earlier this week set off a string of defections and weakened Dostum's defences.
In the end, Dostum's cavalry were unable to ride against the tide of war-weariness which has sized this country after nearly 20 years of conflict.
The Taliban's latest victory unites almost all of Afghanistan for the first time since the Soviet's withdrew in 1989.
Takhar, parts of Kunduz and Baghlan are still outside Taliban control.
The largest single block of territory is the northwestern province of Badakhshan which is held by Ahmad Shah Massood, the defence chief of the government ousted from Kabul last year.
It now remains to be seen whether Massood alone will be able to hold firm against the tide of the Taliban's religious army.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: Twitter: AP_Archive
Facebook: Facebook: APArchives
Instagram: Instagram: APNews
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
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