FIGHTING between Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia and former government forces raged near Kabul yesterday, putting the capital under pressure for the first time since it fell to the fundamentalists.
The Taliban admitted losing key areas north of Kabul to forces loyal to the ousted government, but described their withdrawal as a "tactical retreat" to avoid civilian casualities.
They also dismissed the threat of former government troops seizing the capital, which the militia took control of just 18 days ago, saying the ousted government's military commander, Gen Ahmad Shah Masood, was a spent force.
"Masood is not on the ground here any longer. The power which he had is finished and the few people he has are not capable of coming back to Kabul, although they are capable of causing trouble in the area," said Mr Mohammed Sher Stanakzai, the Taliban's acting deputy Foreign Minister.
He also ruled but peaceful negotiations to end the fighting, saying "it will be very difficult now to cooperate with the former government as they are fighting us no".
Nevertheless, the 52 nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), based in Saudi Arabin, yesterday said it would send a mission to Afghanistan today to seek a negotiated end to fighting.
Past efforts by the OIC and by the UN have failed to end the factional war which has plagued Afghanistan since the overthrow of communist rule in Kabul by the mujahideen in April 1992.
The Taliban, who began their quest to establish an Islamic government in Mghanistan two years ago, control much of the country and captured Kabul on September 27th.
However, their push further north has run into a fierce fightback from the forces of the ousted government.
An official from the former government forces claimed the Taliban had suffered more than 200 casualties in recent fighting and that former government troops had moved to just 4km north of the Afghan capital.
Other reports said the fighting was as close - as 10km from the north western suburbs of the capital.
Mr Stanakzai admitted that Taliban fighters had been killed and injured in fighting, but said it was "very difficult" to provide a figure for their losses.
However, scores of Taliban jeeps were seen on Sunday transporting dead and wounded fighters to Kabul airport where they were loaded on to flights to the Taliban base at Kandahar.
Mr Stanakzai confirmed the militia had lost control of the strategic town of Jabul Saraj, 77km north of Kabul, and of the southern flank of the Salang pass.
A Taliban official in south western Kandahar said the Taliban had also lost the town of Charikar, 14km south of Jabul Saraj.