JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: To the south, near Kabul, there is more fierce fighting. Even though the Northern Alliance is now in control of that city, and they've been in control for almost two weeks, Taliban troops in the surrounding hills are refusing to give up. And that's where we find CNN's Ben Wedeman.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new and unexpected front has opened up southwest of Kabul, outside the town of Maidan Shahr. Alliance commanders thought they had worked out an agreement for the Taliban to surrender and give up their arms. But there was just one hitch: There was no agreement. This time, the Taliban put up a fight. (on camera): The Alliance commander in this area claims there are anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 Taliban troops in the hills overlooking this town, a mere 25 minutes outside Kabul. Which raises the question, how much is the Northern Alliance in control of the territory it's captured? (voice-over): Commander Abdul Ahmed says as many as 800 of the Taliban are non-Afghan fighters, Arabs and Pakistanis. "For them," he says, surrender is not an option. "They must fight, and they will die." After the morning's exchange of fire, the fighting stops. As Alliance troop milled around this dusty town waiting for orders, civilians headed toward the relative safety of the capital. Alliance gunners tested their weapons, but they weren't firing on the Taliban. The Alliance now facing the reality that the Taliban haven't given up yet. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan.
Taliban Troops Continue Fighting in the Hills Near Kabul