Taliban seizes Afghan provincial capitals of Kunduz, Sar-e Pul: Reports....
Taliban seizes Afghan provincial capitals of Kunduz, Sar-e Pul: Reports....
The Taliban said on Sunday it has captured the key Afghan city of Kunduz and also claimed control of government buildings in the northern provincial capital of Sar-e-Pul as they launched a military offensive to take over Afghanistan's cities after seizing much of its rural areas in recent months, reports said. The Taliban has seized four provincial capitals since Friday in a rapid offensive that appears to have overwhelmed government forces.
"After some fierce fighting the mujaheedin, with the grace of God, captured the capital of Kunduz province today," the Taliban said in a statement, according to AFP.
In the northeastern Afghan city of Kunduz, Taliban fighters seized key government buildings leaving government forces hanging onto control of the airport and their own base, according to Reuters.Reuters cited Mohammad Noor Rahmani, a provincial council member of Sar-e-Pul province, as saying that the Taliban fighters have also taken government buildings in the northern provincial capital.
"Government headquarters, including the governor's house, police command, and the National Directorate of Security compound, are captured by the Taliban," Rahmani was quoted as saying by Reuters.
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Ghulam Rabani Rabani, a provincial council member, told Reuters the Taliban had taken over the governor’s office and police headquarters and also gained control of the main prison building in Kunduz.
Rabani said fighting was continuing at the city's airport and other parts of the city.
Reuters cited health officials in Kunduz as saying that 14 bodies, including those of women and children, and more than 30 injured people had been taken to hospital.
Heavy fighting
With a population of 374,000 Kunduz, the capital of a province of the same name, is a significant military and political prize and a key commercial hub near the border with Tajikistan.
An Afghan security forces spokesperson said "extremely (heavy) fighting is going on" in Kunduz, according to Reuters.
However, a provincial lawmaker in Kunduz said the insurgents had taken key buildings in the city.
"Heavy clashes started yesterday afternoon, all government headquarters are in control of the Taliban, only the army base and the airport is with ANDSF (Afghan security forces) from where they are resisting the Taliban," Amruddin Wali, a member of the Kunduz provincial assembly, told Reuters.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the group had largely captured the province and were close to the airport.
Rohullah Ahmadzai, the spokesperson for the Afghan ministry of defense, said on Facebook that special forces were in Kunduz. They had been conducting "clearance operations" in Kunduz to take back media offices captured by the Taliban.
On Friday, the insurgents captured their first provincial capital in years when they took control of Zaranj, on the border with Iran in Afghanistan's southern Nimroz province. The Taliban also took over Sheberghan, the capital of Jowzjan Province.
A Taliban offensive has gathered momentum in recent days after the United States announced it would withdraw its troops in the country by the end of August. Afghan security forces and government troops have retaliated with airstrikes and are being helped by the US.
According to reports, hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured in the fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces with many leaving the country.
