The militants of the radical Islamic movement “Taliban” on the night of October 3, began a coordinated attack on the city of Kunduz in Northern Afghanistan, Reuters reports. A senior local police told the Agency that the Islamists went on the offensive from four directions and attempted to log in directly to the city.
Reuters correspondent says that he saw at least five Taliban inside the city, armed with Kalashnikovs, machine guns and grenade launchers.
The attack began around midnight local time, and fighting continues in and around the city. Military helicopters fly over Afghanistan with Kunduz, and on-site shots.
Information about the dead and wounded in the attack have not yet been reported. According to AFP, the Taliban went on the offensive early on Monday morning. At the moment the territory is controlled by two helicopters of the Afghan army.
At 5.20 Moscow time, the capital of Afghanistan explosion. According to local Agency Khaama, as a result of explosion one person was killed and two others injured. Last week in southern Afghanistan in a suicide attack killed 11 people.
The situation in Afghanistan in recent months escalated. In early summer of this year occurred a series of terrorist attacks in Kabul. Radicals, formerly possessed a large territory in rural areas of the country, began operations to seize administrative centers.
In September, the Taliban entered the capital of the southern Uruzgan province city of Tarin Kowt with a population of 72 thousand. The militants have blocked roads, seized several checkpoints and main administrative buildings, fired at the Governor’s office and the police Department.
A year ago, on 28 September 2015, the Taliban managed to capture Kunduz, reminds Agency “Fergana”. 30 September it was reported that the Islamists in full control of the city, and fled the representatives of the administration, the police and the army fled to the airport under protection including the American special forces. However, the next day it was stated that the Kunduz released the Afghan army. Expert on Central Asia Arkady Dubnov, has its own sources in Afghanistan, then claimed that the Taliban have gone from Kunduz themselves and with the big booty.
Only from the office of national security, they stole several million dollars in cash, more than 900 new Kalashnikovs and took about 300 jeeps, selected from various organizations.
New attempts to capture Kunduz, the Taliban began to take in the spring of 2016. Taliban activity has led to the fact that the United States has announced its intention to delay the withdrawal of troops leaving Afghanistan by the beginning of 2017, not 5.5 million, as previously planned, and 8.4 thousand American military.
The current militant activity in the North indicates a loss of control over the situation both from the government and from the United States, according to researcher of the Center for political-military studies, MGIMO, Sabatello Sodikov.
According to him, the dialogue with the militants to impossible, as they control much of Afghanistan.
“The territory controlled by the Taliban, account for approximately 30% of the country. The militants want to build a Caliphate at home, in contrast to ISIS, which seeks to establish a Caliphate around the world. The Taliban will be the last to insist that the Americans left the territory of their country,” Sodikov said.
The situation is complicated because of the lack of unity in the government. Recently, the President and the Prime Minister are often unable to agree among themselves, said the expert.
According to him, the advancement of Taliban to the North also poses a threat to neighboring Tajikistan.
If there will destabilize, the agreements of the organization of collective security Treaty, Moscow will come to the aid of Dushanbe.
Now in Tajikistan is the 201st Russian military base population of about 7 thousand soldiers, reminded Sodikov.
