Anti-Taliban Claim Recapture of Important Town

Anti-Taliban opposition forces have recaptured the town of Khawjah Ghuar, according to an opposition spokesperson.

The Taliban had only recently claimed the capture of this strategic town. Khawjah Ghuar is an important territory for both the Taliban and opposition forces because it has an airport.

Some agencies have reported that the Taliban's control over Afghanistan is nearly complete. Others argue that up to 25% of the country has evaded the Taliban's grip.

The Taliban is a violent, extremist regime intent on forcing its own fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law on the Afghan people. Under the Taliban, women have lost their right to education, adequate healthcare, employment, and mobility. Women must have a close male relative chaperone them and must wear a debilitating head-to-toe garment whenever they appear in public. Women made invisible in every way. The windows of their homes must be painted black so that male passers-by cannot see them. They are forbidden from laughing in public and from wearing shoes that make noise when they walk.

Media Resources: AP - August 17, 1998

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