Afghan opposition forces Monday claimed to have captured several villages in northeastern Baghlan province after beating back attacks by the ruling Taliban militia.
A spokesman for opposition commander Ahmad Shah Masood said the Taliban struck at mountain positions some 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Pul-i-Khumri before dawn.
"The Taliban launched an offensive this morning at 3:00 am (2230 GMT Sunday) towards our positions in Kelagay and Andarab, but were repulsed in the early moments," said spokesman Mohammad Habeel by satellite phone from adjacent Takhar province.
"Then our forces launched their counter-attacks and took 11 strongholds and five villages from the Taliban."
He identified the villages as Bashalak, Chak-Aab, Sajetak, Band-e-Aspan and Aspich.
A senior Taliban official here dismissed the opposition's claims, which were impossible to independently confirm.
"This is wrong. There were routine clashes in the area yesterday afternoon but the opposition have gained nothing at all," said the official who refused to be identified.
He said the opposition Northern Alliance had been hurt by the fall of Yakawlang district in central Bamiyan province on Sunday and were trying to boost morale with propaganda.
"There was no fighting this morning. They are trying to orchestrate such propaganda in order to avert the attention of people from Yakawlang -- they want to compensate for that," he said -- KABUL (AFP)
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