[Reuters] Dozens of Taliban fighters were stranded on a river island on the border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan on Saturday after fleeing army troops led by the Afghan vice president, the government said, though the Taliban denied they were stuck.
Taliban fighters fled on Thursday to the banks of the Amu River, one of the longest in Central Asia, deserting motorbikes and using fishing boats to reach the island, said Sultan Faizy, spokesman for Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum.
"They have no choice but to surrender or starve," he said, adding that Afghan troops had not advanced so as not to enter Turkmenistan.
There is another choice worth consideration: an Arc Light strike on the island. Or maybe two of them. Just make sure no bombs fall in Turkmenistan or Erdogan will complain. |