INTRO:

FIERCE FIGHTING IS TAKING PLACE IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN -- AND REPORTS SAY THE TALEBAN HAVE REACHED THE GATES OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF. AS V-O-A CORRESPONDENT MEREDITH BUEL EXPLAINS -- THE TALEBAN HAVE OFFERED OPPOSITION FORCES AND CIVILIANS SAFE PASSAGE FROM THE CITY.

TEXT:

A TALEBAN SPOKESMAN TOLD V-O-A CIVILIANS AND OPPOSITION FIGHTERS WHO SURRENDER THEIR WEAPONS WILL BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE MAZAR-I-SHARIF SAFELY.

SPEAKING FROM THE TALEBAN'S STRONGHOLD OF KANDAHAR -- WAKIL AHMAD SAID ANY

OPPOSITION FIGHTERS WHO SURRENDER WILL BE GRANTED THEIR FREEDOM BY TALEBAN CHIEF MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR.

THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS (AIP) QUOTES SOURCES AS SAYING TALEBAN FIGHTERS HAVE REACHED THE GATES OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF.

BOTH TALEBAN AND OPPOSITION SOURCES SAY THE TALEBAN CONTROL THE AIRPORT AND THE ROAD LINKING THE FACILITY WITH THE CITY.

THE NEWS SERVICE QUOTES SOURCES AS SAYING AT LEAST TWO TALEBAN JETS BOMBED FRONT LINE POSITIONS NEAR MAZAR-I-SHARIF.

HEAVY FIGHTING IS REPORTED AROUND THE CITY BETWEEN THE TALEBAN AND FIGHTERS OF THE MOSTLY SHI'ITE MUSLIM HEZB-I-WHADAT FACTION. THE FACTION'S FIERCE HAZARA FIGHTERS ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE MAJOR GROUP TRYING TO DEFEND THE CITY.

THE TALEBAN HAVE REPORTEDLY CAPTURED THE CUSTOMS HOUSE AND THE JAMOHRI GATE -- WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN ENTRANCES TO MAZAR-I-SHARIF.

OTHER REPORTS -- HOWEVER -- SAY THE TALEBAN HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK TO A FRONT LINE A FEW KILOMETERS EAST OF THE CITY

ROCKETS AND MISSILES ARE REPORTEDLY FALLING IN THE CITY.

SOURCES REPORT THE CITY IS VERY TENSE AND THE STREETS DESERTED EXCEPT FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL.

A MAJOR BATTLE IS ALSO REPORTED IN THE CHEMTAL AREA JUST WEST OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF. SOURCES TOLD THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS OPPOSITION FORCES FROM SHIBARGHAN ATTACKED TALEBAN FORCES IN THE AREA.

SOURCES SAY GENERAL ABDUL RASHID DOSTUM IS COMMANDING OPPOSITION FORCES IN THE CHEMTAL AREA.

THERE ARE CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT WHICH SIDE CONTROLS CHEMTAL.

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTS OF THE RAPIDLY CHANGING DEVELOPMENTS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.

MEANWHILE -- THE UNITED NATIONS IS EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THREE INTERNATIONAL U-N WORKERS EXPELLED BY THE TALEBAN FROM AFGHANISTAN. THE EXPULSIONS OCCURRED AFTER A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U-N WORKERS AND THE TALEBAN DURING A MEETING IN KANDAHAR.

THE TALEBAN REQUIRED A FEMALE WORKER TO SIT BEHIND A SCREEN DURING THE MEETING AND THREE MALE U-N EMPLOYEES WALKED OUT IN PROTEST. THE GOVERNOR OF KANDAHAR -- MULLAH HASSAN RAHMANI -- THEN EXPELLED THE THREE MALE WORKERS FROM AFGHANISTAN

A U-N STATEMENT RELEASED IN ISLAMABAD SAID THE WORKERS WERE RIGHT TO LEAVE THE MEETING.

THE STATEMENT SAID U-N POLICY PROHIBITS ANY GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND U-N STAFF ARE INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE ANY SITUATION WHERE SUCH DISCRIMINATION EXISTS.

THE TALEBAN HAVE A STRICT DRESS CODE FOR WOMEN THAT REQUIRES THEM TO BE COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE. TALEBAN OFFICIALS GENERALLY REQUIRE WESTERN WOMEN TO OBEY THIS RULE WHEN THEY ARE VISITING OR WORKING IN AFGHANISTAN.

SOME AID ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SUSPENDED THEIR WORK IN TALEBAN-CONTROLLED AREAS BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS ON WOMEN.

THE TALEBAN CONTROL ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF AFGHANISTAN AND ARE FIGHTING TO SPREAD THEIR STRICT VERSION OF ISLAMIC LAW THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.