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Mujahideen factions head for showdown

UN move to evacuate non-essential personnel from Afghanistan
KABUL, Apr 18: The United Nations here today started organising the evacuation of Its non-essential personnel amid reports that the situation in the city was deteriorating. reports AFP.
The Foreign Ministry said they expected Vice Defence Minister Nabi Aztml to give a briefing on the situation, but no time was given.
In Islamabad, UN officials said they had no Information about the possible evacuation today of non-essential personnel, but confirmed "contingency plans" for obvious security reasons.
In a scries of public broadcasts in Kabul the government army and party Friday reassured the United Nations of its full support over Afghanistan.
- The statements, in reply to expressions of concern Issued Thursday by UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. also said the present Afghan government would do its best to assure the safety of UN personnel tn Afghanistan.
Independent sources In Kabul said- It appeared that some troops from the north had already come In to the city, with the knowledge of the powers In Kabul , In the hope of preventing infiltration from the south by the troops of rebel Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
Afghan troops attacked resistance bases around the east ern garrison city of Jalalabad today, a pro-resistance news agency said.
Troops started shelling the Mujahideen bases near Saniarkhel and Ghani Khel dis-tricts, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said. The attack was considered a preemptive strike by the troops loyal to the current administration In Kabul, it added.
Reuter says, Hekmatyar left Pakistan for Afghanistan today after naming a revolutionary council to take control of Kabul, his Hezb-I-Islaml Party said.
"I don't know about hts destination but he must be somewhere near Kabul," the spokesman said as fears grew of a battle between guerilla factions for control of Kabul.
Hekmatyar's disciplined and well-armed forces are concentrated mostly south of Kabul, while his main guerilla foe Ahmad Shah Masood has massed hts men Just north of the capital. On Friday, Hekmatyar said he would order his men to attack the encircled Afghan capital If its coalition of civilian and military rulers did not hand over power.
The ouster of President Najlbullah on Thursday, following a string of rebel victories in the 14-year-old civil war. has heightened fears of a bloody showdown In this capital of 1.5 million people. The civil war has already left 2 million dead and more than 5 million homeless, adds AP
Sporadic gunfire erupted during the day and many shops in central Kabul's bustling oazaars quickly closed their ' shutters.
Benon Sevan, the UN envoy to Afghanistan, was reportedly negotiating the formation of an Interim government and lor Najlbullah's safe passage out of the country. The Soviet-Installed president stayed out of sight Saturday, reportedly at the UN offices In Kabul.
Rebel commander Ahmed Shah Masood also sent a mes sage on Saturday to the resistance leaders based In the Pakistani border city of Peshawar, urging them to form an interim government because 'the situation Is getting out of control’
Afghan Foreign Minister Abdul Wakll told a news con ference that he had held extensive talks on Friday with Masood. While ruling out any Immediate deal between the two sides, Wakll said other meetings would follow.
AFP from Washington says, ousted Afghan President Najlbullah should be allowed to leave Kabul In order to facilitate a peaceful settlement of the country’s civil war. a senior State Department official said Friday
The Department also voiced concern over the safety of the United Nations envoy for Afghanistan. Denon Sevan, who on Friday continued talks with the government and rebel forces In an effort to set up a transition government.
"We don't think it serves any purpose to complicate the process further with Najlbullah’s future ... so It's Just as well If he's out of there.' the senior official said on condition of anonymity.
Najlbullah was caught trying to flee the country Thursday and later stripped of all power. He remains in Kabul, according the State Department.
Department spokesman Richard Boucher refused to comment on reports that Najlbullah might be under United Nations protection in the Afghan capital.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) called qn Afghan guerillas Friday to exercise restraint and expressed the hope of a smooth transfer of power to an Interim administration.
OIC Secretary-General Hamed al-Ghabid expressed the "hope that the process of the transfer of power to an interim administration will be smooth and lead to the effec- । tlve exercise of the right of self-determination by the people of Afghanistan."
Zahir Shah, the former king of Afghanistan, appealed today In Rome for national unity and a peaceful solution to the crisis in his homeland.
PTI from Delhi adds: India will go by the United Nations decision on the future of Najibullah
External Affairs Ministry sources said that It was the responsibility of the UN to deal with Najib's future.
The sources did not sec the possibility to Najib leaving his country in the next 24 hours or so.
Earlier India today said it would continue to recognise the government tn Afghanistan tn the changed situation following Najibullah's relinquishing his post as president.
An External Affairs Ministry spokesman said this when newsmen asked whether India would recognise the coalition government which has assumed powers tn Kabul.
A Moscow report says: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is concerned that former members of the Soviet armed forces Imprisoned In Afghanistan may be converted to hostages and ransomed for war reparations.
"I think our prisoners of war (POWs) are being held as political hostages and I am worried there are going to be problems over their release, such as demands for war repa-sratlons." military advisor General Ruslan Aushev said, quoted by the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Aushev, head of the CIS heads of state military advisory council, said there was little prospect of a prompt release of the POWs.