Hundreds of Taliban defecting, say opposition
Afghanistan's opposition claims hundreds of Taliban soldiers have been defecting.
The defections have come during three days of fierce fighting in the country's northern mountains.
A Northern Alliance spokesman says 20% of Afghan territory is now controlled by the opposition.
The opposition alliance was estimated to have controlled about 5% of Afghanistan before the recent offensive.
Many are sceptical of its claim to now control 20% of the country.
The rebel alliance claims it has captured the Taliban-controlled Qadis district in the north east.
Alliance spokesman Mohammed Habil says 30 Taliban soldiers and their commander were captured, and another 120 Taliban troops defected.
In Tajikistan, another opposition spokesman says more than 1,000 Taliban soldiers have defected to the opposition alliance over the past three days.
The claims cannot be independently confirmed.
The opposition also claimed that a Taliban commander in eastern Laghman province, Mohammed Suleman, has joined the opposition alliance together with 70 of his fighters.
A Taliban spokesman did not deny Suleman's defection, but said he had been wanted by Taliban military courts for unspecified offences, and that he had gone over to the rebel side to escape prosecution.
Taliban radio says at least 12 rebel soldiers died and several were wounded in an explosion at a military base in Baghram, 36 miles north of Kabul.
An opposition official said the blast was caused by defective munitions and five people were killed.
