KABUL, April 10: Forces of a renegade adviser to President Hamid Karzai have withdrawn from the centre of remote provincial capital they had overrun, leaving it in control of the national army, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

Forces of General Abdul Rashid Dostum invaded the northern province of Faryab from neighbouring provinces on Wednesday and took over the provincial capital Maimana the following day in a fresh challenge to Karzai's US-backed government.

"The Afghan National Army has secured the city and they are moving forward to secure the area around Maimana," Defence Ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimy told a news briefing.

"Dostum's forces have left Maimana city and they are about to leave the suburbs as well."

The government sent hundreds of troops to Maimana to restore order on Thursday and hundreds of officers from the new national police force are also to be deployed.

Azimy said it was possible there might be some further clashes in parts of the province, but added: "In a few days, God willing, it will be completely secure."

The ministry announcement came a day after talks between a delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister General Mohibullah and Dostum in his stronghold of Shiberghan to the east of Faryab.

Even as those talks were underway, Faryab's military commander General Mohammad Hashim Habibi, who was forced to flee Dostum's advance, told the Afghan Islamic Press that the latter's forces had continued to take over territory in the province.-AFP