SALANG PASS - Afghanistan's Islamic Taliban militia burst through opposition defences to capture three key towns and part of the Salang Pass north of Kabul in a dawn assault yesterday, witnesses said.
The Taliban militia thrust north to take the towns of Jabal os Siraj, Gulbahar and Ghorband, dealing a blow to three opposition factions. They then pushed up the Salang Pass to within 20 km of the Sovietbuilt tunnel that leads over the Hindu Kush mountain range.