Heavy fighting around Kabul, Taliban Jets Pound Village Killing 20 People, Taliban Forces Bomb Capit

(26 Oct 1996) 36683 Afghanistan - Heavy fighting around Kabul APTV Hussein Kot, 14 kilometres north of Kabul - 22 October 1996 In some of the heaviest fighting in weeks, troops loyal to the ousted government pounded Taliban army positions north of Kabul, raining hundreds of rockets down on their positions. The Taliban army of religious students, who took over Kabul on September the 27th, retaliated with a blistering artillery attack and heavy tank fire on troops directed by the deposed military chief, Ahmed Shah Massood. Massood discussed strategy with General Abdul Rashid Dostum's second in command, General Abdulmajid Rouzi on the eve of the massive assault. Another soldier aims and fires from his position in the village of Hussein Kot - he has no idea if his rocket propelled grenade has hit its target. But it's all part of the steady barrage of artillery that troops loyal to the ousted Afghanistan government are inflicting on the Taliban forces who have taken control of the capital, Kabul. Various of Massood fighters shooting guns and rockets Smoke clearing from explosion on far off hillside Soldier shooting rocket propelled grenade Various fighters shooting gun through gap in wall Fighters praying Fighters preparing weapons Fighter shooting guns Shell of a burnt out bus on front-line Various of Massood walking with troops on front-line Cutaway soldiers CU Massood talking with General Abdulmajid Rouz, Dostum's second in command sound of explosion as they talk 36732 Afghanistan - Taliban Jets Pound Village Killing 20 People APTV Taliban frontline, North of Kabul, Afghanistan - 23 October 1996 Taliban jets pounded a village north of the beleaguered Afghan capital with cluster bombs, killing at least 20 people. Many of the dead were children. The bombs devastated Kalaquan, a collection of dried mud homes on the plains 12 miles northwest of Kabul. The assault is thought to be in retaliation for Wednesday's major offensive by former Afghan government troops attempting to retake the capital Kabul. Rocket shooting across sky Taliban Multiple rocket launcher firing rockets Fighter launching rocket Rockets shooting across sky Fighter launching rocket Smoke rising Wide of fired rocket Smoke Various of Taliban fighters setting up and looking through field glasses 36931 Afghanistan - Taliban Forces Bomb Capital APTV Jebul Siraj 80 kms north of Kabul - 26 October 1996 Kabul residents awoke to the thud of bombs on their city and bursts of anti- aircraft fire as anti-Taliban forces fired on the Afghan capital for the second straight day. Anti-Taliban forces arrayed north of Kabul said the fighter jets belonged to northern warlord Rashid Dostum. Meanwhile, fighting between Taliban and an anti-Taliban alliance continues north of Kabul. Explosions on hillside Massood's troops loading artillery Smoke rising from hills Soldiers behind trucks Missiles Soldiers wrapped in blankets Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   #kabul #taliban You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...