Taliban seize key north Afghan city of Kunduz

The Taliban on Sunday seized the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, marking the third provincial capital that the military organization has taken since it began its campaign in May.

As The New York Times reports, Kunduz, with a population of about 374,000, is an important commercial hub near the border of Tajikistan.

“All security forces fled to the airport, and the situation is critical,” Sayed Jawad Hussaini, the deputy police chief in a district of Kunduz, said.

At least 15 people were killed and 86 injured, according to the Times.

Just as Kunduz fell, the Taliban also seized the provincial capital city of Sar-i-Pul, the Times reports.

“Heavy clashes started yesterday afternoon, all government headquarters are in control of the Taliban, only the army base and the airport is with ANDSF [Afghan security forces] from where they are resisting the Taliban,” Kunduz provincial official Amrudddin Wali said, according to Al Jazeera.

Residents told Al Jazeera that people attempted to flee the city before the Taliban descended on it.

The Taliban previously seized Kunduz in 2015 and 2016, though in both instances Afghan military forces were able to push them back with the aid of American airstrikes.

The Times reports that Taliban fighters flooded into the streets of Kunduz while two of the city’s markets caught fire.

The Taliban seizure comes just two days after it claimed the provincial capital city of Zaranj in Afghanistan’s Nimruz province.

“We condemn the Taliban’s violent new offensive against Afghan cities. This includes the unlawful seizure of Zaranj, the capital of Afghanistan’s Nimroz province, the attack on Sheberghan, capital of Jowzjan province yesterday and today, and continuing efforts to take over Lashkar Gah in Helmand and provincial capitals elsewhere,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement after Zaranj was taken.