Taliban Capture Half of Kunduz City in Northern Afghanistan

An Afghan police official says that Taliban forces have captured more than half of Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan during extensive attacks on Monday, October 6. Syed Sarwar Hosseini, spokesman for the police commander of Kunduz province, told the Associated Press that the battle between Taliban militants and Afghan security forces is still ongoing. He added that armed Taliban members have taken control of several government buildings, including a hospital and a court. Kunduz city, the capital of the province of the same name, has been targeted by Taliban attacks twice this year. Previously, Ghulam Rabbani Rabbani, the governor of Kunduz province, told the German news agency that Taliban forces have seized several government buildings, the police station, and a 200-bed public hospital in the city. Reuters also reported, citing Sarwar Hosseini, that clashes between Taliban forces and Afghan military are continuing at three entrances to the city, and so far 20 Taliban members have been killed. There is still no information on the casualties among Afghan military forces. According to the Kunduz police spokesman, if the Taliban can defeat Afghan forces at any of the entrances and enter the city, retaking Kunduz will be difficult. The German news agency reported that nearly 120 fresh special forces soldiers entered the city this morning to confront the Taliban. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, also addressed the people of Kunduz on his Twitter account, telling them to stay at home and not to go outside. He wrote that the Taliban do not intend to harm the residents of Kunduz. Northern Afghanistan had previously enjoyed relative calm, but violence in the region has increased in recent years. This is the second time this year that the Taliban has attacked and besieged Kunduz city. In April of this year, the Taliban also laid siege to this city.