KABUL, Dec 14: In a new twist to the Afghan war the Northern Alliance, which has so far been backed by the Americans during its military campaign against the Taliban, has captured 10 United States and two Australian soldiers, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said on Friday.

The agency said the US soldiers had reached Pul-i-Khumri, scene of fighting between the Alliance and an Ismaili faction, two days ago from Mazar-i-Sharif. But it was not clear whether their arrival was related with the anti-Alliance operation.

The captured US and Australian soldiers have been moved to Kunduz and Khawaja Bahauddin, further north, AIP said, quoting sources.

Forces opposed to the Northern Alliance on Friday captured the northeastern town of Pul-i-Khumri after fierce fighting with tanks and mortars.

The Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said Sayed Jafar Nadari, leader of a small militia army from the Ismaili sect, had taken control of 80 per cent of the town in Baghlan province.

The agency added that 150 Northern Alliance fighters were killed in the battles for Pul-i-Khumri.

Pul-i-Khumri lies on one of the main roads from Kabul to the northern cities of Kunduz and Mazar-i-Sharif, and has changed hands at least three times in the past 12 months.

The fighting for the town indicated the fragility of the Northern Alliance’s grip on Afghanistan since it marched into Kabul last month.

Nadari, a former general in the Afghan army, served as governor of Pul-i-Khumri town during Rabbani’s 1992-96 government.

He has since turned against Rabbani and is trying to reclaim his position following the Taliban’s withdrawal from the town last month.

Nadari is also believed to be aligned with General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the ethnic Uzbek warlord and alliance member.

Dostum controls Mazar-i-Sharif but is unhappy about the UN-backed interim cabinet to be headed by Pakhtoon royalist Hamid Karzai.—dpa/AFP