November 27, 2001	Tuesday	Ramazan 11, 1422

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QUETTA, Nov 26: The Taliban vacated the border town Spin Bolduk almost completely late on Monday, with most of them leaving the area after the US marines landed at a desert airstrip near Kandahar.

Most Taliban officials posted in the area for running its affairs belonged to other parts of Afghanistan, who have left the town after handing over its reins to local tribal chief.

“The Taliban agreed to hand over Spin Bolduk to Nurzai tribe’s chief after successful negotiations,” Zulmay Afzali, a spokesman for the tribal council comprising six provinces of Afghanistan, told newsmen late on Monday night.

A delegation headed by Commander Abdul Khaliq, the chief of Nurzai tribes, had a meeting with local Taliban officials in Spin Bolduk and asked them to hand over the town to tribesmen peacefully in the larger interest of the people.

The Taliban agreed to the proposal after a marathon session, he said. “A formal handover of town to Commander Abdul Khaliq Nurzai is due to take place on Tuesday,” he added.