Talibs Set Homes on Fire, Beat Civilians

Taliban troops burned homes and beat civilians in a tiny hamlet northwest of the capital as they searched for soldiers loyal to the former government along a hotly contested front about 15 miles north of Kabul. “People in our village had to flee because the Taliban stormed our village this morning and started burning down our houses,” said Syed Arif. He said Taliban soldiers accused residents of harboring troops loyal to ousted government military chief Ahmed Shah Masoud. Meanwhile, northern warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ally of Masoud, declared he will not sign a cease-fire until the religious Taliban militia moves out of the capital. The militia seized Kabul last month and has instituted its version of strict Islamic rule.