Russia's General Staff Believes Military Operation In Afghanistan Is Developing Successfully

As seen by the General Staff of Russia's armed forces, "the military operation in Afghanistan against the Taliban is developing successfully on all fronts and sectors". By now all the country's north has been freed from the Taliban, with the exception of the Kunduz area, General of the Army Anatoly Kvashnin, chief of the General Staff, told journalists on Tuesday, according to this correspondent. According to Kvashnin, Northern Alliance forces early on Tuesday morning "blocked Kabul completely, but did not enter the city". "The Taliban leadership is no longer in the Afghan capital," the general emphasised. In assessing the operation in Afghanistan, Kvashnin noted that "its success was predetermined by active operations of Northern Alliance troops equipped with Soviet and Russian weapons". Speaking of a possible date for the end of the operation in Afghanistan, the General Staff chief said that "there is still a lot to be done before this fanatic religious extremist structure known as the Taliban, its sources and bases are finally smashed".