Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
October 4, 2016
Fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants has moved into a second day in the northern city of Kunduz.
Taliban fighters launched an assault on Kunduz early on October 3, about a year after briefly capturing the city.
Officials said on October 4 that fighting was still going on in the outskirts of Kunduz but that its center had been cleared of militants.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said gunmen were hiding in residential homes, making progress slow and difficult.
Kunduz police chief Mohammad Qasim Jangalbagh reported that “hundreds” of militants and three members of the government security forces had been killed in the fighting.
It was not immediately possible to confirm the toll.
The Taliban assault came ahead of an international donor conference starting in Brussels later on October 4, where Afghanistan’s international partners will discuss aid to the country.
Based on reporting by dpa, AP, and AFP
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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