Fighting may shift to Bamyan province

Front line Taliban commander Mohammed Zaheeri said his soldiers were ready for a major offensive into Bamyan province, the Shiite stronghold.

8220;We are waiting for our orders,8221; he said.

North of the capital, soldiers loyal to Kabul8217;s deposed military chief Ahmed Shah Masood were battling Taliban soldiers at Charikar, about 60 km away.

At Charikar, the Taliban said it had several thousand soldiers on the battlefield and was receiving reinforcements from Jalaluddin Haqqani, a powerful commander from eastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban army is separated at the Salang tunnel, roughly 120 km north of Kabul. Opposition soldiers blew up the northern end of the tunnel trapping Taliban soldiers inside and leaving an estimated 3,000 stuck on the other side, separated from the main body of troops.

There were reports of sporadic fighting in several northern provinces. It was impossible to independently confirm these reports.

The Taliban now controls two-thirds of the country and its enemies, who have formed an alliance, control the northern one-third.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Salman Haider has said India is concerned over the developments in Afghanistan and is watching the situation closely.

8220;The military situation in Afghanistan is very fluid with different factions claiming victory on different days. It is an evolving situation,8221; Haider told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. He said India had strong interests in Afghanistan and was watching the situation keenly. India wanted a peaceful settlement of the Afghan impasse, he said. Haider was in Dubai after a visit to Oman and Saudi Arabia.