Afghanistan's Taliban regime has confirmed reports that Northern Alliance troops have captured the strategically important city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The Alliance claims the city's Taliban defenders have fled.
There are also reports tonight that hundreds of Northern Alliance troops have massed at the front line just north of Kabul. Commanders there say that they expect to advance within hours.
Earlier, a Northern Alliance spokesman said that Taliban positions were under heavy bombardment from American warplanes. The Taliban said that it had moved reinforcements into Mazar-i-Sharif and that fierce fighting is continuing.
The United States has made it clear it is leaving open the option of deploying more ground forces if the Northern Alliance is unable to advance on its own.
Bombs were also dropped south of the Shomlai plains, about 30 miles north of Kabul. At least two aircraft were involved in the attack and upwards of eight bombs were dropped.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan fundamentalist parties have called a general strike today in protest against the US campaign.
