September 30, 2003	Tuesday	Sha’aban 3, 1424

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KABUL, Sept 29: Afghanistan’s southeastern Paktika province, on the frontline of a violent resurgence by the Taliban, plans to deploy 500 more troops along its border with Pakistan and retake a Taliban-controlled district, officials said on Monday.

Taliban fighters have been in control of Barmal district, 15km from the border facing South Waziristan Agency in Pakistan, since attacking it last month and driving civil and military leaders out.

“We have decided to take control of Barmal district again and send the district chief back. If he is not ready to go, we will appoint a new district chief,” provincial security commander Gen Daulat Khan told AFP.

The decision to deploy an extra 500 troops on the border was made at an emergency meeting on Sunday, he said.

Provincial governor Mohammad Ali Jalali would to Kabul to seek Defence Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim’s backing, he added.

“There are lots of Chechens, Arabs and other Taliban in Waziristan crossing the border from time to time and attacking Afghan forces so we have to block the border,” Gen Khan said, without offering evidence to back his claim.

CLASH: US troops and militants fought each other with artillery and rockets in southeastern Afghanistan at the weekend but there were no US casualties, a US military spokesman said at the Bagram Air Base on Monday.

Attackers fired six rockets on Sunday in the direction of the US-led coalition’s Shkin base on the border with Pakistan, prompting coalition artillery fire, Major Richard Sater told reporters.

Two rockets were also fired on Saturday at the Shkin base, which US troops have dubbed “the most evil place in Afghanistan” because of the frequent rocket attacks against it.—AFP