As received from ISA office in Washington DC
Taliban, Pakistanis Commit Fresh Atrocities in Ghore
News Update August 23, 2001
August 23: Taliban and Pakistani forces burned more than 1000 houses in Taiwara District, Ghore Province.

Payam-e-Mujahid Weekly reported that Taliban and Pakistani troops launched a major offensive against the Mujahideen in Taiwara District, which continued for several days. When the invaders succeeded in entering Taiwara, they burned more than 1000 houses and took more than 300 women and children as hostage. They were taken to Farah Province.

Fifty-three Mujahideen lost their lives while defending Taiwara. The Taliban casualties are reported as high, but no figures were available when this report was filed.

A major disaster was averted when the local people decided to leave their homes and climb the mountains when the Taliban and Pakistani troops approached Taiwara. If they had remained in their houses, they would have been either killed or taken as hostage.
 

Fighting still continues in some areas of Taiwara and the Taliban advances have been checked.

Two weeks ago, the Taliban burned many houses and killed hundreds of people in various districts of Ghore, Farah and eastern parts of Herat.

The Taliban and their Pakistani supporters are worried about the level of resistance in Ghore and want to clear this province of the presence of the Mujahideen. Since limited operations could not achieve their objectives, they have resorted to mass killings and burning of houses to deplete the area of its population.

Ghore has never come under the full control of the Taliban and, as in the past, massacres and burning of houses will not weaken the will of the people to resist the tyranny of the Taliban and their Pakistani backers.