Hundreds of Taliban fighters yesterday launched an early morning attack on a strategic northern city, storming it from several directions, an Afghan official said.
Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, spokesman for the provincial police chief of Kunduz, said the attack on the city of Kunduz started at about 3am. Battles with government forces were still under way in at least four locations, he said.
About 20 insurgents had been killed with confirmed casualties among security forces, but no figures, he said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on his Twitter account, saying the Taliban is now occupying a 200-bed hospital southwest of Kunduz and advising residents to remain indoors.
Kunduz provincial council head Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi said city residents were “greatly concerned” about the situation.
“The Taliban are trying to take control of Kunduz City and this is why they have launched their attacks from different directions using their full power,” he said.
Hussaini said the insurgents had been pushed back from the city and Afghan army helicopters were conducting patrols.
“Intensive battles are going on between both the Afghan forces and the insurgents,” he said.
Kunduz Province is on a strategic crossroads connecting the four points of Afghanistan. It has been the scene of intense insurgent attacks since April, and this is at least the second time the Taliban have attempted to overrun the city.
Afghan officials say the Taliban has joined forces across northern Afghanistan with other regional insurgent groups as it has spread its fight against the government to the previously peaceful region.
The strategy for this year’s offensive appears to have been to force government forces to spread resources across the nation as the Taliban takes control of remote rural districts, even if only temporarily.
However, Afghan forces, fighting alone for the first time since the withdrawal of international combat troops last year, have largely held their ground while taking heavy casualties.
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