Kabul-backed governor loses key town

Friday, 1 February, 2002, 13:10 GMT BBC News

Khan's troops were pushed out of Gardez

A governor appointed by the new Afghan leadership has been forced out of the strategic eastern town of Gardez, after two days of clashes with local fighters in which up to 60 people were killed.

It is quiet now. We control all of Gardez town.

Saif Ullah's son Officials loyal to the commander Saif Ullah - a powerful local tribesman chosen by local people - said the fighting ended early on Friday after the governor's troops were forced to retreat to the outskirts of the town.

Analysts say Governor Padsha Khan Zadran's defeat represents a setback for Afghanistan's interim government in its attempts to exert control beyond the capital Kabul, and has highlighted the fragility of the peace in a country where warlords still wield enormous power.

The fighting came as Afghan leader Hamid Karzai reiterated his call for more international troops to be sent to help stabilise his country during talks in London on Thursday.

Uneasy calm

"It is quiet now. We control all of Gardez town. [The governor's] people are no longer here," the son of Saif Ullah told the Reuters news agency.

Earlier, explosions, mortar and machine gun fire rocked the town in the worst factional fighting since the new government took office five weeks ago.

Forces loyal to the interim government in the area declined to get involved, describing it as a local dispute.

And while US warplanes circled overhead, American special forces stationed nearby refrained from taking any action.

There have been repeated allegations that factions of the Northern Alliance, which controls much of the Kabul government, are deliberately attempting to destabilise the provinces of the south, where the strong tribes wield power which could come to rival their own.

Lack of support

Analysts say Mr Karzai is desperate to get international backing for the expansion of the multinational force in Kabul to other areas of Afghanistan.

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They say Mr Karzai lacks a strong military powerbase in a country famous for its fractious warlords.

Despite publicly claiming their support for his interim administration, many regional leaders and commanders are also keen to protect their own powerbases.

The BBC's Pam O'Toole says it is increasingly looking as though it may be difficult for Mr Karzai to extend his administration's authority throughout the country without international support.

She says that if these security problems are not solved, international donors will be reluctant to release the billions of dollars pledged for long term reconstruction aid for Afghanistan.