Afghan government claims ‘hundreds of terrorists’ killed, as troops repel Taliban attack on city
- Taliban launches assault on the northern city of Kunduz, even as the group’s leaders meet with US negotiators in Qatar in a bid to end 18 years of war
Afghan security forces “repelled” a coordinated Taliban assault on the northern city of Kunduz, President Ashraf Ghani said, even as the insurgents claimed to have captured important city buildings.
The multipronged Taliban offensive on Kunduz, which has come under frequent attack since 2015, occurred as US and insurgent negotiators continue to seek an agreement in Doha that would see thousands of American troops leave Afghanistan in return for security guarantees.
Officials said the fighting started around 1:00am Saturday, when Taliban militants advanced on the city from several directions.
Gunfire could be heard across Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz province near the Tajik border. As the day wore on both sides claimed that units from the other’s forces were surrendering.
By Saturday evening, the Afghan government said it had gained the upper hand.
The Taliban “wanted to create an atmosphere of fear in the city … but their attack was repelled by our brave security forces,” Ghani said in a statement.