Gunbattles between the Taliban and another Islamist faction have killed at least 50 people in north-eastern Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday. The militants are apparently fighting for control of several villages where the central government has almost no presence.
The fighting was continuing on Sunday, with militants using heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the Governor of Baghlan province said.
Local police official Zalmai Mangal said the fighting in the north-eastern province appears to be a power struggle between local Taliban forces and the Hezb-e-Islami militia loyal to warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
Violent clashes between anti-government Islamist factions are rare, although various militias have their own agendas and power struggles are relatively common.
Mangal, the province's deputy police chief, said reports from the area indicate that at least 50 militant fighters were dead, 35 from Hezb-e-Islami and 15 from the Taliban.
He spoke by telephone from a district near the fighting where government forces have rushed to observe and try to help any wounded civilians.
It was unclear what touched off the fighting, which erupted on Saturday morning and continued late into the night, resuming on Sunday, Mr. Mangal said.
However, he said that Taliban fighters reportedly had moved into villages that traditionally were controlled by Hezb-e-Islami.
