Troops Drive Armed Gangs Out of Kabul
Government troops backed by tanks drove hundreds of armed men from Kabul on Friday as a security sweep of the capital continued for a second straight day.
“Getting rid of these men was our hope and our demand,” said Haji Zahir Gul, a Kabul resident. “Now there will be no more looting.”
Afghan rebel forces captured Kabul on April 25 after a lengthy civil war. Since then, a motley band of rival guerrilla groups and former government militia forces has terrorized residents.
Street fighting, robbery, kidnaping and murder have become commonplace.
Few shots were fired, and there were no reports of casualties as government troops arrived in force at homes and public buildings Friday to evict the armed bands squatting inside. The operation began Thursday amid considerable confusion, with government forces killing two men.
Afghan guerrilla groups support the decision to clear the city, but individual commanders are intensely critical of the way the operation is being carried out, saying that former government collaborators are dominating the security sweep.
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