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Roundup: More than 100 militants killed as clash for control of Afghan northern Kunduz city enters 4th day

Xinhua, October 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

More than 100 Taliban militants have been killed as clash between the hardliner Taliban group and government forces for the control of northern Kunduz city entered its fourth day on Thursday, police spokesman in the northern zone Mahfozullah Akbari said.

"Latest update on the situation in Kunduz city is that more than 100 rebels have been killed and scores more injured," Akbari told Xinhua.

Several bodies have been collected from different parts of the city and cleanup operation has been continuing to return law and order in the city, the official added.

However, he contended that the ongoing cleanup operation against militants has slowed down because the militants have been using the civilians as human shield to undermine the crackdown.

"Since the militants have been using civilians as human shields and have taken positions in residential houses therefore, the operations have been slowed down in order to protect the civilians," Akbari asserted.

Nevertheless, he stressed that the militants have been retreated from some areas in the city.

Taliban militants overrun parts of Kunduz city the capital of Kunduz province 250 km north of Kabul on Monday and the government forces have yet to dislodge militants and clean up the city from the insurgents.

During the operations against militants, according Akbari, four security personnel have been killed and eight others injured.

However, Taliban outfit in contact with media, besides claiming inflicting huge casualties to the government forces also insisted the militants are in control of major parts of the embattled Kunduz city.

Although there is no official statistic about civilians' casualties over the past four days of war in Kunduz, the Kunduz residents say that hundreds of thousands of families have been stranded in their houses due to relentless firing.

"We have no power, no water and even no food," Azizullah of Kunduz city told Xinhua.

He also noted that many families are looking for ceasefire to leave their houses for safer places, but so far no sign of halting hostility is in sight. Enditem