After the Afghan government said it had reclaimed most of the provincial capital of Kunduz in a big operation backed by U.S. airstrikes, there are signs Thursday that the Taliban are back in the city, a resident told CNN.
The sound of gunshots could be heard near the Kunduz airport and the Taliban appeared to be back, according to a resident who did not want to be named for security reasons.
The resident’s account came as U.S. Special Forces advisers in the country said in a statement that Afghan Security Forces had Thursday “encountered an insurgent threat in Kunduz” to which U.S. Special Forces returned fire to “eliminate the threat.”
The statement stressed that Afghan Security Forces have full responsibility for their operations in Kunduz, but U.S. service members have the right to protect themselves.
The Taliban said Monday that they had seized the major northern city, their biggest victory in nearly 15 years. U.S. forces launched airstrikes on Wednesday.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid insisted the militants weren’t done fighting in the city yet and had regained ground since the government’s advance.
The Taliban remain in control of at least two districts in the rest of Kunduz province.
The Taliban’s takeover of Kunduz was the first time they had driven government forces out of a provincial capital since the Islamic extremist group was ousted from power in 2001.
The defeat intensified doubts about Afghan troops’ ability to take on the militants now that the U.S.-led coalition has stepped back from front-line combat. It also showed the Islamic extremist group’s resilience despite recent internal divisions under its new leader.
Can government keep key city secure?
Questions still remain about the government’s ability to protect Kunduz, a strategic hub on the main highway between the Afghan capital and Tajikistan, an important trade route.
The Taliban attack Monday, in which government officials say the militants cunningly “infiltrated” the city, was preceded by a monthslong buildup of insurgent forces in the surrounding region. And yet the Afghan security forces, who outnumbered their enemy, appeared unprepared or unwilling to defend it.
After losing Kunduz on Monday, Afghan troops initially struggled to retake it. Many of them remained dug in at the airport on the outskirts of the city while the Taliban prevented reinforcements from getting through from neighboring Baghlan province.
The situation on the ground in and around Kunduz has often appeared confused, with the Taliban and the government both claiming to have gained ground and inflicted heavy casualties on the other side.
The Afghan Defense Ministry said the operation to retake the city had killed 150 Taliban fighters. But it didn’t provide any information about casualties on the government side.
Hundreds of civilians wounded
Many civilians were caught up in the fighting and thousands fled Kunduz, according to the United Nations. They left by truck, rickshaw or horse — and some on foot.
Nicholas Haysom, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said that under Taliban control of the city there were reports of “extrajudicial executions, including of health care workers, abductions, denial of medical care and restrictions on movement.”
One male resident of Kunduz told CNN on Wednesday that shops were closed, there was a citywide power blackout and it was becoming difficult to find food.
“Kunduz has turned into a ghost city,” the man said, reporting that he had been hurt by shrapnel after getting caught in a firefight. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retribution.
Pictures and video posted to social media from Kunduz after the government said it had retaken control showed citizens out on the streets.
Doctors Without Borders said its trauma hospital in the city has been overwhelmed with patients. The aid organization reported that its doctors had treated at least 252 wounded people, including 53 children, since Monday.
“The majority of patients had sustained gunshot wounds, and surgeons have been treating severe abdominal, limb and head injuries,” Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. Anticipating more casualties, the organization was rushing medical supplies to the city by road and air.