More men desert Dostum

ISLAMABAD, May 22: The advancing Taliban forces in their bid to capture northern Afghanistan have linked up with the rebel commander, Abdul...

ISLAMABAD, May 22: The advancing Taliban forces in their bid to capture northern Afghanistan have linked up with the rebel commander, Abdul Malik, to make a combined march towards Mazar-e-Sharif, the stronghold of the Uzbek warlord, Abdul Rashid Dostam.

Reports trickling here from Peshawar, a Pakistani city bordering Afghanistan near Khyber Pass, said that the Taliban have already captured Maimana on Wednesday morning.

Maimana is the provincial capital of Faryab province and a 220 kms of open land separates it from Dostam8217;s northern stronghold, Mazar-e-Sharif.

The news quoting senior Taliban official, Syed Mohammad Haqqani, said that the Taliban officials held talks with General Malik to plan strategies for the future. The two forces were co-operating and were now considering joint 8230;military activities, Haqqani said.

Malik, who had been the commander of Dostam, had defected to Taliban on Monday to make a combined onslaught on Dostam.

Malik had accused Dostam of being disloyal to his people and country and defended his action by arguing that it aimed at protecting the territorial integrity and unity of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, another powerful Dostam commander, Ghaffar Pahalwan declared in an interview with BBC last night that he had joined hands with the Taliban after taking control of his native Saripal province.The news report also said that more commanders in northern Afghanistan were deserting Dostam as he was losing ground.

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Report from Dostam camp said that the anti-Taliban forces, which included Dostam8217;s forces, the Shiite hezb-e-Wahdat Mujahedeen faction and the forces loyal to ousted President, Burhanuddin Rabbani, have held crises talks to explore possibility of persuading Gen Abdul Malik to rejoin them.

High level negotiations are going on with Abdul Malik and 8220;this is a very sensitive and critical situation for us,8221;an alliance spokesman said.

Malik, like Dostam, is an ethnic Uzbek, and alliance officials said the ethnic factor may prove loyalty-clinching incentive against their battle against the mainly pashtoon Taliban.

Meanwhile, for the first time since their emergence in late 1994 the Taliban appear to have crossed the Hindukush mountain ranges to enter central and northern Afghanistan.