Afghan forces regain city after minister killed

Forces loyal to the governor of Herat in Afghanistan claimed to have retaken control of the western city today after fierce factional fighting that killed Afghanistan’s aviation minister and left as many as 100 people dead.

Forces loyal to the governor of Heart in Afghanistan claimed to have retaken control of the western city today after fierce factional fighting that killed Afghanistan’s aviation minister and left as many as 100 people dead.

The governor’s troops fought against those of militia commander Zaher Naib Zada, who said his forces were responsible for yesterday’s fatal shooting of Aviation Minister Mirwais Sadiq, which sparked the clashes.

Fighters loyal to Governor Ismail Khan - the aviation minister’s father - today took control of Zada’s militia barracks and detained 25 of his fighters but the commander himself escaped capture, police chief Zia Mauddin Mahmud said by telephone.

Mahmud said 50 to 60 people died in hours of fighting with guns, rockets and tanks.

Zada said the death toll was between 50 to 100.

“The city of Heart is quiet,” Mahmud said.

Either death toll would mark one of the worst bursts of violence under President Hamid Karzai’s US-allied government, still trying to assert control over regional militias nationwide since the late 2001 fall of the Taliban.

Defence Minister Mohammed Fahim had demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Heart fighting late yesterday, and ordered newly US-trained Afghan National Army soldiers deployed from the capital to try to calm the city.

Karzai’s shaky government has been rocked by the killing of Sadiq – the third top figure, and second aviation minister, to die violently in office.

Presidential spokesman Khaleeq Ahmed said Sadiq had been shot in his car in unclear circumstances.

However, Zada said that his forces had killed Sadiq in a confrontation, after the minister went to Zada’s home to fire him.

Afterward, Zada’s forces and soldiers loyal to Sadiq opened battle with machine guns, tanks and rockets for control of his division’s military barracks, he said.