Clashes continue as Taliban press Afghan city south of Kabul
At least 25 soldiers and a journalist reportedly killed in clashes in Ghazni since fighting broke out on Friday
Fighting continued around Ghazni in central Afghanistan on Saturday, a day after Taliban fighters stormed the city in a stark show of force, with at least 25 police and one journalist killed, officials said.
Many telecoms masts were destroyed during heavy fighting on Friday, making it difficult to establish contact with the city, some two hours drive south of the capital Kabul, and there were conflicting accounts from government and Taliban spokesmen.
The attack on Ghazni, a strategically important centre straddling the main highway linking Kabul with the south of the country, was the most serious blow struck by the Taliban since they came close to overrunning the western city of Farah in May.
The insurgents have failed to take any provincial centre since they briefly seized the northern city of Kunduz in 2015 although they are active across much of the country and control many rural areas.
Defence ministry officials said Ghazni was under complete control of the security forces. But at the same time, they said clearance operations were continuing and additional troops were being sent to boost the city’s defence.
“Afghan National Army reinforcements are making their way to Ghazni city to help the Afghan National Police search and clear the city of insurgents that may still be hiding in the city,” said Major Mohammad Farooq, an Afghan army spokesman.
