Heavy fighting underway in 3 provinces as second Afghan city falls to Taliban

The Taliban seized the stronghold of a notorious Afghan warlord on Saturday as forces and the Taliban were fighting fiercely on Sunday in the centre of Kunduz, a major provincial capital, officials and residents said.

According to officials, the second provincial capital to fall to the insurgents in under 24 hours.

Another media report said on Sunday that heavy fighting between security forces and the Taliban militants is currently underway the three northern provinces of Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Jawzjan with reports of civilian casualties in the clashes.

Citing sources, the TOLO News report said the clashes in Kunduz have reached the centreof the city of Kunduz and some key government buildings have fallen to the Taliban.

The provincial public health directorate said at least 11 people have been killed and 39 more have been wounded in Kunduz clashes that started on Friday evening.

A source from the province said clashes have intensified near the police headquarters and the main roundabout in the centre of Kunduz city.

The Taliban have taken control of vast tracts of rural Afghanistan since early May when they launched a series of offensives to coincide with the start of the final withdrawal of foreign troops.

Afghan government forces largely abandoned the countryside to the insurgents, but are now scrambling to defend a string of cities.

On Friday the Taliban seized their first provincial capital, Zaranj in Nimroz, and followed it up a day later by taking Sheberghan in Jawzjan.