Afghan Forces Make Little Progress in Retaking Kunduz
- Troops engage in heavy fighting with Taliban on city outskirts
- U.S. airstrike risks killing civilians, causing backlash
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The Afghan forces made little progress in the first day of its campaign to take back the strategic northern city of Kunduz from the Taliban Tuesday, even with the support of U.S. airstrikes, as President Ashraf Ghani sought to rebound from the biggest military defeat of his year-old administration.
Heavy fighting was occurring on the outskirts of Kunduz and more than 80 Taliban militants were killed in the day’s battle, Defense Ministry Spokesman Dawlad Waziri said by phone yesterday. There were fewer casualties among Afghan troops and civilians, he said.