Forces of a renegade adviser to President Hamid Karzai have withdrawn from the centre of a provincial capital they had overrun, leaving it in the hands of the Afghan national army, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.
General Abdul Rashid Dostum forces invaded the northern province of Faryab from neighbouring provinces on Wednesday and took over the provincial capital Maimana the following day in a fresh challenge to Karzai's US-backed government.
"The Afghan National Army has secured the city and they are moving forward to secure the area around Maimana," Defence Ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimy told a news briefing.
"Dostum's forces have left Maimana city and they are about to leave the suburbs as well."
The government sent hundreds of troops to Maimana to restore order on Thursday and hundreds of officers from the new national police force are also to be deployed.
Azimy said it was possible there might be further clashes in parts of the province, but added: "In a few days, God willing, it will be completely secure."
The ministry announcement came a day after talks between a delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister General Mohibullah and Dostum in his stronghold of Shiberghan to the east of Faryab.
A Maimana resident said Dostum's forces had withdrawn to the base about 10 km (six miles) south-west of the city of Mohammad Hashim Habibi, the pro-Karzai commander who fled their advance.
He said about 10 backers of the governor who fled with Habibi were hurt in stone-throwing clashes with Dostum supporters but the latter, who numbered a few hundred, dispersed after Mohibullah promised to tell Karzai their complaints.
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