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Roundup: Afghan forces fighting to recapture Kunduz city amid Taliban efforts to widen fronts

Xinhua, September 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Afghan security forces have been fighting hard over the past three days to regain the control of the strategically important Kunduz city, 250 km north of Kabul, but have yet to achieve the goal as the hardliner Taliban militants have blocked the road linking Baghlan to Kunduz city, preventing reinforcement from reaching Kunduz.

Taliban militants captured major parts of Kunduz city on Monday, the first provincial capital since their regime collapsed in late 2001, prompting Afghan parliament to question government sincerity in the war on militants and summoned top security officials to seek elaboration for the setback.

Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of Afghan parliament summoned ministers for Interior, Defense and intelligence chief on Wednesday to elaborate the reason for the surprise collapse of Kunduz city to the Taliban militants.

Some of the lawmakers have accused top officials including the governor of Kunduz province of secret deal and handing over Kunduz to the hardliner group.

Afghan Mushrano Jirga or Upper House of parliament in a similar session on Tuesday termed Taliban presence in Kunduz as a shame to the government and called for trial of Kunduz governor, Omar Safi, who reportedly has fled to Europe.

Meanwhile, Kunduz police spokesman, Sayed Sarwar Hussaini in talks with media on Wednesday confirmed that more than 160 Taliban militants including Mawlawi Salam the shadowy governor of Taliban in Kunduz province have been killed by air strikes over the past two days.

However, spokesman for Afghan Public Health Ministry, Waheedullah Mayar has confirmed 30 dead and more than 200 others injured around 90 percent of them civilians, in Kunduz city.

On the other hand, Taliban militants, according to locals, attacked police checkpoints in Dand-e-Shahabudin area in the neighboring Baghlan province Tuesday night causing concerns among people.

Taliban militants on Tuesday morning attacked several police checkpoints in Kunduz's neighboring Takhar province to engage government forces.

Amid ongoing fighting between militants and government forces for the control of Kunduz city, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on warring sides to protect the lives of civilians and respect human rights.

Meantime, Afghan political observers are of the view that government failure to recapture Kunduz city within days would encourage Taliban fighters to destabilize Kunduz's neighboring Baghalan and Takhar provinces. Endi