TALIBAN REJECT UN CALL TO END BOMBING OF AFGHAN OPPOSITION BASE

ISLAMABAD, Jan 4 (AFP) - The Taliban militia has rejected a United Nations call to stop bombing the air strip in the opposition stronghold of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman said Sunday. A UN delegation met with Taliban authorities in the militia's southwestern headquarters of Kandahar Saturday to convey the UN request, Taliban spokesman Wakil Ahmed told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). But Taliban authorities made it clear that the air strikes would continue because "the anti-Taliban forces are using the Bamiyan airport for military purposes," Wakil told the Pakistan-based private news service. The airport is being used to supply arms and ammunition to pro-Iranian Shiite Hezb-i-Wahdat forces to fuel the war in Afghanistan, he said. The UN team's visit follows reports that the central Afghan region of Bamiyan, besieged by the Taliban fighters for the past several months, was facing a famine-like situation. Western sources, who visited Bamiyan recently, said the central Afghan town had a small dusty air strip, devoid of usual facilities. After a few sorties last month, the UN suspended food supply airlifts due to Taliban air raids.