The World : Afghan Rebels Seize Posts

Afghan guerrillas said they overran several government posts in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan and captured 880 government troops. The offensive was launched Sunday, but details of the fighting did not reach neighboring Pakistan until later, according to the Afghan News Agency, which is controlled by the guerrillas and based in Pakistan. A second Afghan source, independent of the rebel groups in Islamabad, confirmed the report. Most of the reported fighting was at posts 10 miles west of the heavily fortified town of Khost, 15 miles from the Pakistan border. The news agency described the fighting as “one of the biggest-ever offensives against the Communist regime troops in Paktia.”