Afghan opposition leader 'is dead'

Paris - The French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, said yesterday he understood that the Afghan military opposition leader…

Paris - The French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, said yesterday he understood that the Afghan military opposition leader, Mr Ahmad Shah Masood, had died from bomb wounds following an attack on Sunday.

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press had reported earlier that Mr Masood (49), the chief military obstacle to the Taliban's conquest of all Afghanistan, had died, but this was dismissed as late as yesterday by his associates in France, who said they had been in touch with people at his side who said he was in a critical state but still alive.

Earlier reports from Dushanbe, where the commander was believed to be in hospital, said his health was growing worse by the hour.

On Thursday, the ruling Taliban made their biggest gains in two years against the opposition. About 1,000 Taliban fighters attacked opposition forces in the northern province of Takhar with tanks and artillery and seized Dasht-e-Roba.