Blair: Limited leadership role from Britain

The conflict came as Afghan leader Hamid Karzai reiterated his call for more international troops to be sent to help stabilise his country during talks in London.

While expressing support for Mr Karzai, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair made it clear Britain would end its current leadership role in the force.

"Our leadership is there, but it's for a limited period," Mr Blair told a news conference after their meeting.

Vicious battles

Explosions, mortar and machine gun fire rocked the eastern town of Gardez in the worst factional fighting since the new government took office five weeks ago.

The BBC's Damian Grammaticas, who is in Kabul, says this is the scenario that many in Afghanistan fear: as the interim government tries to assert itself, there will be a new round of vicious battles with local groups vying for power.

The Gardez fighting was between the forces of Saif Ullah, an elderly but powerful local tribesman chosen by local people, and Padsha Khan Zadran who was appointed by Kabul.

Padsha Khan is reported to have fled the town as his men surrendered to the local fighters.

Forces loyal to the interim government in the area declined to get involved, describing it as a local dispute.

And while US warplanes circled overhead, special forces stationed nearby refrained from taking any action.

There have been repeated allegations that factions of the Northern Alliance, which controls much of the Kabul government, are deliberately attempting to destabilise the provinces of the south, where the strong tribes wield power which could come to rival their own.

Accusations

Conflict had been brewing since December between Padsha Khan and the local council, or shura, which took power in the area after the collapse of the Taleban.

He accused shura members of being Taleban and al-Qaeda sympathisers, a charge they denied.

Dozens were killed in the clashes

In December, council members accused him of calling in American air strikes against what they say was a convoy of tribal leaders by wrongly identifying them as al-Qaeda and Taleban members.

A number of local leaders died in the attack.

BBC correspondent Kate Clark, reporting from Gardez, says the fighting has further highlighted the fragility of the peace in Afghanistan, where warlords still wield enormous power both inside and outside the capital Kabul.