Roundup: Taliban opens more fronts in Afghan N. provinces amid cleanup operations

Amid Afghan government forces' cleanup operations in northern Kunduz city, capital of Kunduz province 250 km north of Kabul, militants loyal to the Taliban outfit have opened more fronts by attacking some districts in Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan and Jauzjan provinces over the past couple of days.

In latest advance against government interests, the Taliban militants, according to media reports, captured Tala-o-Barfak district in Kunduz neighboring Baghlan province Friday night, but the government has yet to take any step to recapture the district.

Taliban militants have also been attempting to block the road linking Baghlan to Kunduz province and disrupting reinforcement to reach the Kunduz city.

In a surprise attack, Taliban militants captured major parts of Kunduz city last Monday and government forces started counter- offensive on Thursday and so far, according to Kunduz police, hundreds of Taliban militants have been killed.

According to locals and officials, sporadic fighting is still continuing in Kunduz city for the fourth day on Saturday since launching counter-offensive by government forces to recapture the strategically important Kunduz city which borders Tajikistan.

Up to 28 people including 24 militants have been killed as clash flared in parts of Jauzjan province with Shiberghan as its capital 390 km north of Kabul on Saturday, police said.

"Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints in Darzab, Khamab and Mangjet districts early Saturday triggering gun battle and have left 24 Taliban militants dead," deputy to provincial police chief Abdul Hafiz Khashi told Xinhua.

Four security personnel have also lost their lives in firefight, the official added.

The official however contended that all the said districts are in the control of police.

Currently, bloody clash has been going on between security forces and Taliban militants in Khawja Ghar district of Takhar province and Wardoj and Baharak districts in Badakhshan over the past two days.

The security forces, according to officials, have inflicted huge casualties on Taliban militants and 50 insurgents have been killed in Baharak district since early Saturday, a claim spurned by Taliban as baseless.

However, thousands of people from all walks of life, mostly ordinary citizens by holding arms have announced their support to government forces in the war against the hardliner Taliban militants. Endi