21.   The Taliban militia captured a key Afghan government military stronghold east of Kabul as they stepped up their drive to seize Kabul, defence officials said Thursday.

22.   The Taliban militia has captured a key pass in northern Afghanistan, threatening the main stronghold of a pro-Iranian Shiite faction, Taliban-run Radio Kabul said Tuesday.

23.   The Taliban religious militia captured major towns north of the capital Kabul during the past two weeks.

24.   The Taliban Islamic militia captured the capital Kabul in September, and now controls two-thirds of the country.

25.   They have also accused local Taliban authorities in western Herat province, which the militia captured last year, of engaging in drug trafficking across the border into Iran.

26.   Little known outside their own region, the Afghan Taliban militia captured world attention in September when they took Kabul and imposed their own brand of orthodox Islamic law.

27.   Tehran has stepped up its support for the Kabul government after the Taliban fundamentalist Sunni Moslem militia captured the key western province of Herat bordering Iran in September.

28.   Tehran has stepped up efforts to mediate peace in Afghanistan after the Taliban militia captured three provinces in the western part of the country.

29.   The Islamic militia also captured some tanks and an anti-aircraft battery in Sarobi, which was a military stronghold of Afghan premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

30.   The fundamentalist militia captured Kabul two weeks ago and imposed strict Islamic rule.