Afghan Rebels Renew Attacks Near Jalalabad
Afghan guerrillas renewed rocket attacks on government forces near Jalalabad airport Thursday, rebel sources in Pakistan said. The airport remained in government hands, they said, citing reports from guerrilla commanders outside the eastern Afghan city.
That contradicted earlier rebel reports that the Jalalabad airport had been captured.
The rebels are seeking to take their first major city since the last of an estimated 115,000 Soviet troops left Afghanistan Feb. 15.
The Western-backed rebels said they captured the key post of Samarkhel, southeast of Jalalabad, on Wednesday when most of the defenders surrendered.
A spokesman for President Najibullah’s government in Kabul denied the report of the fall of Samarkhel, and independent confirmation was not available.
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