Taliban using civilian homes to launch attacks on Afghan security forces.
The Afghanistan police said that the forces on Tuesday regained control of the centre of the strategically important northern city of Kunduz from Taliban fighters, who had launched an assault on the city a day ago
Mahfoz Akhbari, a spokesman for the chief of Kunduz Police, said that battles are continuing in and around the city where Taliban fighters were using civilian homes to launch attacks. He said that 40 Taliban fighters had been killed.
Fatima Aziz, a member of the Afghan parliament from Kunduz, said the security situation Tuesday morning was still “very bad” and claimed that many residents had no electricity or water. “They (Taliban) are coming into people’s houses all of the night, they want a place to stay under the house. They are taking food from families,” she said.
Ministry of interior spokesman Sediq Sediqi said on Tuesday that more than 100 Special Forces had been deployed to clear Kunduz of Taliban militants and that fighting was ongoing in the city’s outskirts.
Helicopters hovered over the strategic provincial capital and special forces were stationed in the main square, but with fighting still on in the outskirts, residents remained fearful and most shops and businesses were shuttered, said reports.
The assault launched early Monday came just over a year after militants briefly seized the provincial capital, and as President Ashraf Ghani flew to Brussels to meet world leaders for a crucial foreign aid conference.
“The enemy attacked Kunduz to catch the world’s attention in Brussels (and show) they are still alive,” defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said on Tuesday.
The Talibans said that “heavy attacks” were still underway, with a spokesman saying on Twitter that the militants were advancing.
