Taliban commander defects to opposition
 Frontier post
ISLAMABAD (NNI): A Taliban commander and 700 men under his control have defected to the opposition United Front in central Ghowr Province, reports Radio Mashhad.

A source close to the northern alliance said that a decision by the Taliban to send armoured troops there did not have any impact on local people's determination to resist Taliban attacks.According to reports yesterday a Taliban commander in northern Afghanistan, Mola Abdorrazaq, instructed his troops in [northeastern] Takhar and [northern] Samangan Provinces to return immediately to Mazar-e Sharif [the capital of northern Balkh Province.

Considering these reports and following the alliance forces' preparation for new manoeuvres in northern areas of Afghanistan, Taliban officials are very much concerned about the situation that has emerged.

The Taliban are attempting to tackle the complicated Afghan crisis through military pressure and violence.