US Air Strikes On Taliban Bases In Takhar

The Takhar headquarters of the united front report Sunday morning the bombing by US planes of Taliban bases in the Takhar province's capital Talukan and in the vicinity of the Kala-Kata elevation of the Takhar province close to the Tajik border. The Taliban's Kala-Kata positions are now under shelling of the government artillery dislocated close to the Ai-Hanum mould. The whole area is swept by a dense dust smokescreen after yesterday's dust storm, which hampers the airborne activities. Takhar direction is one of the main vectors in Northern Afghanistan. If the united front gains control over the Takhar province, it will have a free hand for further progress not only westward - to the neighbouring Northern provinces of Kunduz, Samangan and the city of Mazar-i-Sharif - but also southward - to the Afghan capital of Kabul. It has become clear, however, that the US was too hasty in promising to complete the operation by the beginning of winter. The united front headquarters are rather sceptical about the outcome of the US three-week bombing of the Taliban bases in the south of Afghanistan - Host, Kunduz and Kabul, as well as in the west - Herat. In the opinion of the united front's military leadership, the results of these strikes have failed to bring about desirable results. Moreover, the Taliban have changed tactics over the past three weeks and got adjusted to air and missile strikes, massing enough manpower and firearms in the area of Talukan, Kunduz and Mazar-i-Sharif. One can hardly predict now the extent of effectiveness of US strikes in the province of Takhar.