BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Backed by heavy U.S. bombing, Afghan opposition forces claimed the capture Tuesday of several key towns on the road to Mazar-e-Sharif in their first reported significant advance against Taliban defenses.At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said an assessment of the claimed move against the strategic northern city would have to wait until the ``dust settled'' and there was a pause in the fighting.
Even if true, it would mean opposition forces were several dozen miles away across mountainous terrain from Mazar-e-Sharif, with winter closing in.
But after seesawing battles south of Mazar-e-Sharif in recent weeks, the opposition said intense strikes by American planes helped open the way for Tuesday's advance. The alliance had complained earlier that U.S. bombing was not heavy enough.
U.S. jets also hit Taliban positions on another main front of the war, north of the capital, Kabul, dropping more than a dozen bombs and raising black smoke over the valley.
Rumsfeld said U.S. military planners hope that American help to the opposition alliance - including weapons and ammunition - will unite its factions so ``that we will see more success'' on the ground.
The Pentagon has said small numbers of American special forces teams are working with northern alliance forces to train and equip them, provide them with additional ammunition and weaponry, and identify targets for U.S. strike aircraft.
U.S. forces are playing similar roles with other opposition groups in the south and elsewhere, although the closest coordination has been with the northern alliance.
The Pentagon also intends to start delivering cold-weather clothing to the northern alliance, officials say.