R1SHKHOR. Afghanistan. Dec 11 Afghan government troops launched a massive attack on th* Taliban militia t>esieging Kabul, triggering a rocket barrage on the capital, army and defence officials said today reports AFP

Jets bombed Taliban positions late Sunday, while troops bombarded the militiamen with missiles, rockets and heavy artillery on this frontline just five kilometres (three miles) from Kabul's southern suburbs, commanders here said.

We were forced to attack the enemy to put a halt to what we saw as abnormal movements of troops and

vehicles." a Defence Ministry spokesman said

The battle was very fierce and lasted about five hours but we suffered no casualties on our side." a frontline commander Major Ahmad Shah told AFP

The Defence Miniatry and unit commandera aaid the frontlines had not changed during the fight, although the Defence Ministry said the Taliban had abandoned sev eral posts in the area after they came under heavy fire The claim could not be Immediately confirmed by Independent sources

While troops on both sides were battling It out. the Tai

Iban launched a barrage of about 40 rockets on the war-ravaged capital late Sunday

But defence and hospital sources said that all the war heads had landed in a non residential area which houses the airport causing no casu al ties

The capital — which is hemmed in on three fronts by the Taliban who have vowed to topple President Burhanuddln Rabbani s gov eminent and impose Islamic law on the country — was meanwhile calm and cold to day. apart from the sound of routine artillery skirmishes on Its outskirts.