Fighting flared in eastern Afghanistan on Monday as Taliban insurgents threatened to storm another provincial capital, two weeks after their lightning capture of northern Kunduz city which marked their biggest military victory in 14 years.
The attempt to seize Ghazni city was repelled by Afghan forces but it raised security alarm bells as the resurgent militant group pushes to expand beyond its rural strongholds in the south of the country.
The violence, which prompted local shops and schools to close, follows the Taliban’s three-day occupation of Kunduz and an attempt by the militants to capture the capital of northern Faryab province.
This morning some 2,000 Taliban fighters launched attacks on Ghazni from several directions. They managed to come as close as five kilometres (three miles) to Ghazni city as fierce fighting flared but were quickly pushed back by Afghan forces.
— Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, Deputy Provincial Governor
The development comes after days of sporadic clashes and officials said Afghan military reinforcements had arrived from neighbouring provinces to secure the city.
The Taliban’s effort to capture the city has failed. The Taliban will soon realise that Ghazni is no Kunduz.
— Assadullah Shujahi Ghazni, Deputy Provincial Police Chief
The fall of Kunduz was a stinging blow to Western-trained Afghan forces, who have largely been fighting on their own since the end of NATO’s combat mission in December.
Afghan forces claim to have wrested back control of Kunduz but sporadic firefights continue.
The militants last week attempted to overrun Maimana, the capital of Faryab province, but were pushed back by Afghan forces backed by pro-government militias.
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