Afghan leader forces Taliban into retreat

The former Afghan government military chief Ahmed Shah Massoud has rolled back the Taliban militia that drove him from Kabul two weeks ago, taking two towns and possibly further territory, reliable sources said.

Jabal-os-Saraj, the Taliban front-line headquarters town at the mouth of the Salang Pass through the Hindu Kush mountains, a two-hour drive from Kabul, fell on Saturday, the sources said.

Massoud then captured Charikar, a 30-minute drive south of Jabal-os-Saraj, after a fierce five-hour battle later in the day, it was claimed. Reuter - Kabul