Military planners are confident that, with the Taliban in disarray, they can seize control of a swath of the country north of the Hindu Kush mountain range. After days of meetings between regional commanders, detailed plans have been hammered out. The Northern Alliance will mount an artillery barrage using Iranian and Russian 155mm guns and T55 tanks, and activate small saboteur units behind Taliban lines. In the resulting confusion, local warlords will lead their forces into battle along several fronts. The first objective for the Northern Alliance will be to recapture the town of Taloqan, which they lost last year after heavy fighting, by cutting it off to the west.
Commanders plan to mount several pushes from positions they hold to the south, east and north.
They say that if Taloqan falls the way will be open to the important city of Kunduz. Many of the fighters in Dashti Qala are highly motivated refugees from Taloqan, intent on returning to their families. They are in positions along the front line, made up of a series of strongpoints along a ridge parallel to the River Kukcha. In recent days, hundreds of troop carriers, horses and jeeps have forded the Kukcha, carrying soldiers to the forward positions. First we use artillery and then afterwards charge across no man's land - 10 metres, then drop and shoot, then up and 10 more.