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| Afghan Taliban clash with rivals | Afghan Taliban clash with rivals |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| At least 60 militants have been killed in fighting between the Taliban and a rival Islamic group, Hezb-e-Islami, in northern Afghanistan, police say. | At least 60 militants have been killed in fighting between the Taliban and a rival Islamic group, Hezb-e-Islami, in northern Afghanistan, police say. |
| The fighting in Baghlan province erupted on Saturday morning. A number of civilians died in the crossfire. | The fighting in Baghlan province erupted on Saturday morning. A number of civilians died in the crossfire. |
| It appears to be a rivalry over control of local villages and the taxes they generate, a BBC correspondent says. | It appears to be a rivalry over control of local villages and the taxes they generate, a BBC correspondent says. |
| Hezb-e-Islami, loyal to former PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is the second biggest militant group in Afghanistan. | Hezb-e-Islami, loyal to former PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is the second biggest militant group in Afghanistan. |
| The two groups have previously been allied in their opposition to Afghan's central government and foreign forces. | |
| Baghlan's police chief told the BBC that 40 Hezb-e-Islami fighters had been killed, as well as 20 Taliban militants. | Baghlan's police chief told the BBC that 40 Hezb-e-Islami fighters had been killed, as well as 20 Taliban militants. |
| The Taliban are said to have arrested at least 50 members of Hezb-e-Islami, Gen Akhbar said. | The Taliban are said to have arrested at least 50 members of Hezb-e-Islami, Gen Akhbar said. |
| Fighting is taking place in an area where the Afghan government has little or no presence on the ground, says the BBC's Chris Morris in Kabul. | Fighting is taking place in an area where the Afghan government has little or no presence on the ground, says the BBC's Chris Morris in Kabul. |
| 'Global terrorist' | |
| The US labelled him Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a "specially designated global terrorist" in 2003. | |
| His mujahideen faction was one of the groups that helped end the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. | |
| In the unrest that followed in the early 1990s, his group of fundamentalist Sunni Muslim Pashtuns clashed violently with other mujahideen in the struggle for control of Kabul. Mr Hekmatyar served twice as prime minister during that period. | |
| Hekmatyar's forces are usually allied with the Taliban | |
| Hezb-e Islami was blamed for much of the terrible death and destruction of that time, which led many ordinary Afghans to welcome the emergence of the Taliban. They forced Mr Hekmatyar and his men to flee Kabul in 1996. | |
| After the Taliban were overthrown, he pledged allegiance to the new Western-backed administration in Kabul. However, after an alleged anti-government plot by Hezb-e Islami was uncovered, the group took up arms and allied itself to the Taliban. | |
| Although his position has been weakened in recent years, he remains a key figure in the insurgency, especially in the east and parts of the north. |