Students order Afghan government to pull back<\/p>\n
KABUL (Reuter): An Islamic student militia that has swept to
\nthe gates of Kabul told the Afghan government to pull its troops
\nback to their old front lines around the city by yesterday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
\"If they do not, our shura (council) will decide what to do,\"
\na commander of the Taleban militia named Mamour Jah told
\nreporters at Charasyab, which the militia captured from main
\nopposition leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar early on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Jah said the Taleban gave government forces until 4 p.m. (1030
\nGMT) to pull back and that he had been holding talks with a
\ngovernment delegation at Charasyab about the demand.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment from the government and as the
\ndeadline passed it was not clear whether the government had
\ncomplied with the deadline.<\/p>\n
However, reporters returning from Charasyab saw government
\ntroops in eight tanks rumbling towards old front lines around the
\nancient fort of Bala Hisar inside the city.<\/p>\n
After Hekmatyar fled from his former headquarters at
\nCharasyab, 15 kilometers south of Kabul, forces allied to
\nPresident Burhanuddin Rabbani moved into front line positions
\nformerly held by Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami group.<\/p>\n
The Taleban, whose swift weakening of the once formidable
\nHezb-i-Islami has upset the Afghan balance of power, have not yet
\nmade clear if they plan to attack the battered capital.<\/p>\n
Kabul residents ventured out of their homes and shops reopened
\nyesterday, but many people said they were nervous about a
\npossible clash between the government and Taleban.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think the Taleban came all this way to stop at the
\ngates of the capital,\" said one man stocking up with flour.<\/p>\n
There has been no shooting yet between the Taleban and forces
\nallied to Rabbani and his top commander Ahmad Shah Masoud, but
\nthe emergent Islamic militia has vowed to sweep away Mujahideen
\nfactions it regards as corrupt and power-hungry.<\/p>\n
Relentless battles that pitted Hekmatyar and his northern ally
\nGen. Abdul Rashid Dostum against government forces cost an
\nestimated 25,000 dead after the mujahideen guerrillas replaced a
\ncollapsed communist regime in Kabul in April, 1992.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-order-afghan-government-to-pull-back-1447893297",
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