Northern Alliance Prepares An Offensive Along The Line Takhar-Kabul

The Northern Alliance gets ready for the offensive on Kabul advancing from Takhar. Along the line of advance from Takhar towards Kabul the Northern Alliance organized a military grouping it specially relies upon for the conduct of the offensive towards the Afghan capital. The shock force of the grouping is made of the newly created armoured brigade consisting of up to 40 T-55 and T-72 tanks and of the same number of armoured personnel carriers. The brigade is strengthened by a battalion of mobile rocket launchers and operates within the composition of the central grouping which is still being described as "the Masood grouping" and which comprises about 10000 people. General Abdul Dayan, chief of staff of the armoured brigade, informed Russian journalists that the grouping would wage the offensive at the moment which would be the most suitable for that purpose. The Alliance command considers as such the moment the phase of intensive US bombardments of terrorists' bases located in the areas of supposed offensive of the Northern Alliance grouping (Kunduz, Kabul and Jelalabad) is completed. The Alliance command stresses that the offensive might be waged at any moment.