Northern Alliance To Start Offensive After Us Operation Begins

The Northern Alliance will start its offensive as soon as the US anti-terrorist operation begins, said Friday general Attiqullah Beriylay, Deputy Defence Minister. He said that according to the plan devised by the leadership of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, "all armed formations of the Northern Alliance's Mujaheddin will be unified into a single structure and operate according to single instructions." On Friday, inspection of the first regular units of the newly created army of Afghanistan was held on an improvised range at Baydingak (Takhar province). According to Attiqullah, the inspection was held before the large-scale offensive of the Northern Alliance on the Taliban positions. A part of the newly created group will advance to the forward edge of the battle area already today. According to the general, "it is planned to launch the offensive at the most advantageous moment for the Northern Alliance." He put it plainly that this moment would come as soon as the US operation aimed at destruction of the terrorists' bases is launched. At the same time, according to other generals, they have almost lost faith that the US will start its operation. They say that "the Northern Alliance will launch the offensive independently in no more than three days, maximum in a week". While speaking at the inspection, Afghan Defence Minister Muhammad Fahim said that the leadership of the Islamic State of Afghanistan accentuates the importance of the regular army as an "indispensable attribute of any sovereign state". Fahim stressed that even if the US does not decide to conduct the operation, the Northern Alliance armed forces will continue their struggle to re-establish constitutional order in the entire territory of the country.