US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Afghanistan on a visit to assess progress in stabilizing the country. Rumsfeld met two powerful regional warlords and a UK-led reconstruction team, before heading for talks with President Hamid Karzai. The visit comes amid concerns over factional fighting in the north, and TalIban forces regrouping in the south. Forces that have already been defeated will have "no opportunity" to come back, Rumsfeld told reporters. Rumsfeld will meet the heads of various militia factions to thank them for their help in toppling the Taliban, but is expected to tell them that the time for private militias is over and the government in Kabul is now in charge. In May Rumsfeld declared the end of major combat operations and shift to the reconstruction phase. But in recent months there have been frequent attacks on coalition troops, Afghan and foreign aid workers, Afghan officials and troops - and a number of bombings in the south. "It is no great surprise that those who have been defeated and removed will be looking to come back... but they will not have that opportunity," Rumsfeld said. He arrived on Thursday in the north of the country, which has seen saw some the worst factional violence since the fall of the Taleban. Rumsfeld met northern Afghanistan's two most important strong men - General Dostum and General Atta. They recently signed a truce and have started handing over their heavy weapons to Afghan government control. **PHOTO CAPTION*** US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. (AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)