June 20, 2004

Some sixty Taliban attacked a government compound in a town 370 kilometers southwest of the capital. Five attackers and two soldiers died before the Taliban retreated. There were about fifty Afghan soldiers defending the compound, and the Taliban knew that if their initial attack did not quickly succeed, they would have to get out of there before government, and American, troops showed up to cut off retreat. When the Taliban withdrew, they left a satellite phone and several weapons behind.  

The United Nations has withdrawn its staff from the central Afghanistan province of Ghor, because of the fighting between local warlord Abdul Salaam Khan and men loyal to the governor.