Roundup: Taliban overrun second district in N. Afghan province

The Taliban insurgents, after fierce fighting, captured Dasht-e-Archi district in the northern Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital 250 km north of Kabul on Monday.

This is the second district captured by Taliban militants in the strategically important Kunduz province which borders Tajikistan, over the past three days.

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power overrun Chardara district late Saturday night, forcing the government forces to retreat. The hardliner outfit also captured Dasht-e-Archi district early Monday morning after heavy fighting, local officials confirmed.

Governor of Dasht-e-Archi district Nasrudin Sadi, in talks with media, confirmed that the government forces have retreated to the neighboring Khawjaghar district without suffering casualties.

"Due to shortage of arms and ammunitions, our security forces retreated to the neighboring Khawjaghar district," Sadi told Xinhua.

He also said the central government has failed to send reinforcements to fight back against the advancing militants.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in contact with media, claimed capturing Dasht-e- Archi district, insisting the militants overrun the district after inflicting casualties.

The capture of Dasht-e-Archi by Taliban militants occurred while the government forces are yet to take step for recapturing Chardara district.

Governor of Kunduz province Mohammad Omar Safi told local media that preparations are underway to launch counter-offensive for retaking Chardara district.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said reinforcements have been dispatched to the area to launch cleanup operations.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April 24 when the militant group launched its so-called annual spring offensive in different parts of the militancy-plagued Afghanistan which have claimed hundreds of lives including militants, security personnel and civilians.

Moreover, a series of blasts and attack on Afghan parliament in Kabul on Monday, which were presumably organized by Taliban outfit, have added to security concerns among Afghans. Endi