KABUL, 18 August 2004 — US-led coalition planes launched an airstrike near the western Afghan city of Herat yesterday after clashes erupted between rival warlords in a district outside the city, just weeks ahead of presidential elections. The bombing was designed to halt Amanullah Khan whose forces have been battling militia loyal to Herat provincial governor and military strongman Ismail Khan, reaching the district of Adraskan some 85 kilometers south of the city, officials said.
“Amanullah Khan’s troops were bombed by coalition planes,” Herat police chief Ziauddin Muhmoodi told AFP. The US-led military coalition could not be reached for comment. But sources in the central government said the attack had been ordered by President Hamid Karzai who had vowed to back Ismail Khan and defend Herat against non-government forces.
“The attack on Ismail Khan is being considered as an attack on the central government,” Karzai presidential spokesman Hamid Elmi told AFP. According to a source close to the Defense Ministry, Karzai called for the airstrike by the US-led coalition after Amanullah failed to pull back from Adraskan.
“Amanullah was told if he made a single step further toward Herat the government would take serious action against him. Amanullah right now is being considered as a rebel commander,” the source said. Amanullah’s forces captured and briefly controlled Adraskan earlier yesterday, but lost control of the district in the afternoon after bloody clashes. They retreated after a truce was brokered.
“Based on the request of the central government, we handed over the control of Adraskan to the national army,” Amanullah told AFP. United States Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad later said the US had stepped in to broker a truce between the warring sides after four days of fierce clashes.
“The agreement has been made, has been honored but I have indicated to Amanullah that any advance towards Herat to threaten the city is unacceptable,” Khalilzad told reporters. Khalilzad said it was unclear if the factional fighting was related to elections but that an investigation had been launched.
Meanwhile, the US-led military coalition said Afghan National Army troops from Kabul were on stand-by in Herat if fighting continued. “The Afghan government ... is trying to resolve the situation peacefully. However, they have positioned forces in the area, and are reinforcing them, to use should peaceful means fail,” US military spokesman Maj. Rick Peat told AFP in an e-mailed statement.
Herat was tense yesterday and Ismail Khan was seen distributing weapons to civilians at police headquarters and intelligence headquarters. Uniformed and plainclothes armed men were stationed at every major intersection on Herat’s streets, an AFP correspondent observed.
