DUSHANBE. Nov 2 (Interfax-AVN) - Units of the anti-Taliban coalition have beefed up combat operations against the Taliban troops in the area adjacent to the south-eastern section of the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, a high-ranking official of the Russian border force headquarters in Tajikistan told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
The escalation takes place against the background of the increasing power and frequency of U.S. missile and bomb strikes on the Taliban's military installations 10 to 15 kilometers from the border, namely near the villages of Hojagar, Imamsohib and Kazak-Kyshlak, the source said.
According to him, Taliban garrisons stationed in the area total over 3,000 people, armed with heavy weapons and ordnance. About 40 heavy air bombs were dropped on Kazak-Kyshlak alone in an hour on Thursday.
A source in the Northern Alliance told Interfax-AVN that cross-shaped planes had taken part in the strikes. Planes like that had never been noticed in the air space over the Takhor and Kondoz and local specialists failed to detect their type.
Anti-Taliban coalition units in those areas are engaged in night raids and relocating additional armaments and ammo to the frontline. "A system of advanced firing positions is being developed," the source said, adding that up to six new positions were established every day.
The source did not rule out that the Northern Alliance may launch an westward offensive in the north of the Takhor province.