QUETTA, Nov 27: The Taliban recaptured Spin Boldak on Tuesday and took up military positions they had vacated a day earlier, after surrender talks with local tribal chieftains collapsed.

The representatives of both the sides confirmed this while talking to this correspondent by telephone from the border town.

The Commanders of Asmat Militia and Wakil Samad Noorzai were engaged in talks for peaceful handover of Spin Boldak, which ultimately failed, prompting a swift action by the Taliban to regain its control.

By Tuesday afternoon, Taliban forces, armed with light and heavy weaponry, were back to their vintage military positions in the town, sources said.

Fighting erupted again in Takhta Pul area on Tuesday between forces loyal to Taliban and those against them.

Mulla Najeebullah, a senior Taliban official, claimed their forces had recaptured the Kandahar airport and its surroundings from the Pakhtoon tribesmen allied to Hamid Karzai and Gul Agha, a former Kandahar governor. His brother, Ahmed Karzai, confirmed that Hamid was holding his military position in Uzergan province.

“We attacked the tribesmen’s positions in Takhta Pul and captured the area down to Kandahar airport,” Mullah Najibullah told this correspondent by telephone.

Rehmanuddin, a traveller who returned from Spin Boldak, told Dawn that he had seen hundreds of Taliban fighters on the roads after they recaptured the area.

“I have seen over hundred military vehicles of Taliban moving on the highway,” Rehmanuddin said.

The Taliban were showing a strong presence between Pul Takht and Kandahar, apparently to demonstrate their military prowess and a will to fight the US Marines to the last.

A commander of Asmat Militia, Mohammad Anwar, also confirmed the Taliban attacked tribal forces but claimed the assault was repulsed.

He told newsmen in Chaman that the Taliban suffered heavy casualties, with at least four injured having been brought to this Pakistani border town.

Sources said the tribal forces vacated their position following a counter-attack by the Taliban in and around Kandahar city and airport. It represented a serious setback to the trio — former Kandahar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai, Commander Fida Mohammad of Asmat Militia and Hamid Karzai, a Zahir Shah loyalist.

However, sources close to Hamid Karzai claimed that talks were still continuing with the Taliban commanders for their surrender and safe evacuation.

Ahmed Karzai told newsmen in Quetta that some religious leaders and military commanders were trying to prevail upon the Taliban to give up their fight and thus save common people from being caught in a possible US ground assault.

He said the tribal forces were ready to guarantee their safety and a smooth transition of power to the opposition forces.

He confirmed that the talks had been deadlocked because, according to him, two Pakhtoon factions were demanding control of Spin Boldak. One faction was led by Commander Fida Mohammad Gud of Asmat Militia and the other by Wakil Samad Noorzai.

One report said the Taliban staged a comeback following an order from Mulla Umer, asking them to fight the US and its supporters to the last.

Eyewitness accounts spoke of heavy and incessant US bombing of Taliban positions in Lashkar Gah, Shorawak, Baba Sahib and Deheellah. The strikes, which continued on Tuesday afternoon, were believed to have left scores of Taliban and the civilians dead.

There was no way to independently verify the number of deaths in the US bombing on the Taliban strongholds.