As the fighting continued to rage, the Afghan ministry of public health said 30 people have been killed and more than 200 injured – 90 percent of them civilians. Pro-Government forces also carried out airstrikes in certain parts of the city.
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US aircraft also launched a failed attempt to airdrop supplies to a force of besieged Afghans who were later forced to surrender, an Afghan official told The New York Times.
The airport is a key staging ground for the Afghan military, but Taliban fighters have been advancing toward it. USA forces conducted a third airstrike early Wednesday, also near the airport, Tribus said.
“Afghan security forces and other government employees are inside”.
The Taliban have intensified attacks over the past couple of months as the Afghan security forces assumed the full security responsibilities from NATO-led troops since January 1. “However, our service members have the right to protect themselves if necessary”.
When the strategy is rolled out it is likely to see Afghan special forces airdropped to clear major roads and narrow alleyways, with follow-up reinforcements sent in to hold the cleared areas, he said.
He added that the coalition’s special-forces advisers were among North Atlantic Treaty Organisation experts backing Afghan troops.
Taliban fighters seized control of Kunduz after staging an audacious assault on the city on Monday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s biggest setback since taking office a year ago and the worst attack since the bulk of foreign troops left at the end of last year. Police said 83 Taliban were killed in the United States action, a claim denied by the Taliban.
Video posted on Twitter showed Taliban soldiers posing at landmarks in downtown Kunduz, including the local hospital and several government buildings, as well as the prison.
But the complicated nature of the fight and the need for a cross-pillar approach under a single command means it could be a few time before progress is visible, military experts said.
“I keep calling friends in Kabul to ask what is going on”, Khan Agha, 25, said by phone.
Although the Afghan government promised a counter-offensive on Kunduz, security forces did not make any headway Tuesday, officials said. “Mujahedeen are not thinking of harassing or deriding anyone but have intentions of respecting and bringing serenity to their lives”, the statement said. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retribution.
“The city is empty”, said Khan Agha.
The 10-minute clip posted on Facebook opens with a shot of Kunduz main square where Taliban cadres cheer as they raise their white flag under the wary gaze of subdued-looking residents. The city was taken by Taliban extremists on Monday.
Information from inside the city remained sketchy. “We are only defending”.
Kunduz is home to one of the largest number of militia forces in the country. Mir Alam and Nabi Gechi are local militia fighters on the side of the government. Among those abuses are extorting money, illegal land grabs, rape and assault.
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Taliban gunmen patrolled Kunduz streets on Tuesday, setting up checkpoints, searching for government loyalists and sealing off exit routes for anyone who wished to escape – effectively trapping the residents inside the city.
