Afghan opposition confident of victory

Afghanistan's anti-Taleban alliance has predicted victory over the Taleban following a meeting between Russian, Tajik and Northern Alliance leaders in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

In remarks broadcast by Tajik radio, deposed Afghan leader Burhanuddin Rabbani said that, after years of struggle against the Taleban, Northern Alliance forces were confident they will now finally see victory.

We are confident that in this just struggle, where the whole world has become our allies, we will finally defeat terrorism

Burhanuddin Rabbani

"We and our friends outside Afghanistan have been carrying out a bitter struggle against terrorism for seven years," he said.

"We are confident that in this just struggle, where the whole world has become our allies, we will finally defeat terrorism."

Mr Rabbani went on to speculate about what could have happened had the Northern Alliance not retained its stronghold in the north of the country.

"You and the world should judge for yourselves... if the Taleban had taken the whole of Afghanistan, what would happen with the situation in the region and in the world?" he said.

Interfering countries like Russia are not only playing a positive role in destroying Afghanistan, but also fomenting unrest in Afghanistan

Taleban radio commentator

Earlier, anti-Taleban radio reported fierce fighting and further Northern Alliance victories on the northern front line.

Radio Voice of Mojahed said anti-Taleban fighters had "managed to inflict heavy losses on the enemy".

It said 30 Taleban fighters had been killed during the clashes in Samangan and Balkh provinces, and that 500 Taleban had defected.

Pro-Taleban radio meanwhile issued stern warnings to Russian and Central Asian states against supporting the Northern Alliance forces.

"Interfering countries like Russia are not only playing a positive role in destroying Afghanistan, but also fomenting unrest in Afghanistan," a radio commentator said.

"God willing, the Muslims of Central Asia will soon dig the grave of the Russian aggressors and their puppet governments."

'Graveyard for Americans'

A Taleban commander in the key frontline town of Mazar-e Sharif also challenged the Americans on Taleban radio to fight on equal terms - then they would see the courage of the Taleban fighters, he said.

"Concerning the present US attacks on Afghanistan, this is a jackal-like or fox-like attack," the commander said.

"If the Americans want to stand in jihad against Afghanistan or want to deal on equal ground with the Afghans, they should launch a ground attack."

He added that the US should ask the Russians what happened to them in Afghanistan and in what manner they had to leave.

"Afghanistan will be a graveyard for the Americans," he said.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.