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| Afghanistan |
| Rivals Battle in Afghan Town, 10 Said Killed |
| 2002-06-01 |
| Rival factions fought with rockets and small arms fire in the capital of the southwestern Afghan province of Nimroz, killing at least 10 people. The fighting between the two factions started on Friday night in the provincial capital Zaranj, near the Iranian border, and continued on Saturday. The fighting raged the night after a force led by provincial security chief Mohammad Yaqub Barakzai was attacked by a force loyal to commander Abdul Quddus. Eight people were killed inside a house hit by a rocket while two soldiers died and 20 were wounded in gunbattles between the two factions, he said. A resident in Nimroz said the forces of Barakzai, a close relative of Kandahar governor Gul Agha Sherzai, were being surrounded by those of Quddus'. Gul Agha has sent reinforcements for Barakzai, Afghan sources in the area said. This might be an inter-clan shootout, rather than having any political significance. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |