Skirmishes between Afghan warlords stop after ceasefire

Skirmishes that broke out after the signing of a ceasefire agreement between rival warlords in northern Afghanistan did not appear to threaten the fragile truce as soldiers yesterday piled onto tanks and slowly withdrew from a battlefield.

Commanders loyal to northern Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum said "sporadic shooting" had been reported in the region late on Friday, but that it had stopped.

"Everything is peaceful now and we're pulling back from the front line," said General Syad Noorulla. "The tanks are coming out."

General Abdul Sabur, top commander of Dostum's archrival, Atta Mohammed, said the violence late Friday was more serious, with battles taking place in two locations west of Mazar-e-Sharif. However, he said the fighting ended after a few hours. There was no indication of fresh casualties.

"As we start to trust each other a little more, most troops will be pulled back and returned to their barracks," he said.

Earlier Friday, soldiers relaxed on the battlefield while others prepared to leave. The latest battle fueled fears that the truce would collapse, as several before have done.

The withdrawal had been part of the peace agreement, which was finalized on Thursday with help from Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali and British Ambassador Ron Nash.

"This is a very positive step," said Major Guy Bennett, one of 69 British soldiers based in Mazar-e-Sharif. "But the next 24 hours will be crucial."

Bennett said the British troops were helping to reduce tension, but would not keep the warring sides apart if they battle again.

The fighting started Wednesday and most of it occurred about 20km west of Mazar-e-Sharif, home to 1.5 million people and scene of some of the bloodiest battles in the US-led war to oust Afghanistan's former Taliban regime.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the violence. A government spokesman in Kabul said it was most likely over land disputes or access to water -- the cause of repeated clashes in the past two years.

The UN said fighting earlier in the week resulted in "high numbers of casualties," but did not have precise figures. Although one side said more than 60 died, the other said it was fewer.