Afghan Refugees Flee From Fighting

Renewed fighting in Afghanistan has sent tens of thousands of refugees to the capital and to the border with Tajikistan and Iran, aid workers and officials said Saturday.

An estimated 10,000 new refugees have arrived in Kabul this month, bringing to 150,000 the number of villagers fleeing fighting 90 miles to the north.

The new arrivals have created a tremendous strain on food, housing and medical supplies in the capital, Red Cross and U.N. officials said.

Heavy fighting has erupted in northwestern Afghanistan’s Badghis province, eastern Nangarhar province and the Shomali Valley north of Kabul.

The Taliban religious army, which controls two-thirds of the country, is fighting a coalition led by northern warlord Rashid Dostum and the former government’s military chief, Ahmed Shah Masood.