Afghan province not controlled

2003-12-11 14:54

Islamabad - Authorities have lost control of 80% of one of Afghanistan's most troubled southeast border provinces Zabul, the deputy governor said on Thursday.

"Though the area is not under Taliban authority, the local administration failed to apply its rule in 80% of the southeastern province," deputy governor Maulvi Muhammad Omar told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).

Only three districts - Shahjoy, Shahra-e-Safa and the capital Qalat - were under government control, he was quoted as saying by AIP, a private Pakistan-based news agency.

Zabul, bordering Pakistan, is on the frontline of a resurgence by Taliban fighters regrouping in southern Afghanistan and western tribal areas of neighbouring Pakistan.

Guerrillas loyal to the former regime have staged increasingly bold attacks this year on aid workers, road workers, and US and Afghan troops. At least 12 aid workers have been killed, aid agencies have been driven out of swathes of the south and east and road workers have been abducted.

The rebels have taken control of several tiny border districts, according to a United Nations report in October.

Afghan officials said in September they had been driven from the district of Barmal in Paktika province, next to Zabul, by Taliban forces in August.

Omar said the Zabul administration was "weakening day by day", and that almost 30% of government employees had abandoned their posts, according to AIP.

Three foreign workers helping to rebuild an important highway linking Kabul with southern city of Kandahar were abducted in Zabul by the Taliban. A Turkish engineer, abducted October 30, was released a fortnight ago.

The Indians, abducted on Saturday, have been threatened with death by their Taliban captors.

Omar said police had abandoned checkposts on dangerous strips of the highway.

"There were checkposts at dangerous parts of the highway but due to the negligence of government, the people left work and now the posts are lying vacant," Omar said.

- AFP