Smoke at a police station in Kunduz. The province has seen a number of attacks since April
Hundreds of Taliban fighters have seized parts of the strategic northern Afghan city of Kunduz, reports say.
There
is fierce fighting after militants launched a surprise attack from
several directions. There are casualties on both sides, police say.
Taliban fighters have taken government buildings in the city centre.
Monday's attack appears to be one of the most significant mounted on a provincial capital by the Taliban, correspondents say.
Government officials say that reinforcements have been sent to the city.
"The
Taliban have taken over our neighbourhood... I can see their fighters
all around," an AFP news agency journalist inside the city reported.
Kunduz province has seen a number of attacks since April, with the Taliban joining forces with other insurgents.
The
city is symbolically significant to the Taliban as it was their former
northern stronghold before their government was overthrown in 2001.
The assault comes a day after a bomb attack on a sports match in eastern Paktika province killed nine people.
'Fighter selfies'
The Taliban said they had also entered a hospital in Kunduz, although local media reports say they only stayed briefly.
Pictures on social media appeared to show fighters taking selfies inside the hospital.
Afghan security forces have taken casualties in the attack
The government claims to have killed at least 20 militants.
Kunduz
province contains major roads that connect central and northern
Afghanistan. Correspondents say it also supplies half of Afghanistan's
rice crop.
Militant violence has increased across Afghanistan since the departure of most US and Nato forces last year.
On
Sunday, a bomb attack on a sports ground in Paktika left nine dead and
dozens injured. No group has said it carried out that attack.
Also on Sunday, 300 fighters allied to the so-called Islamic State attacked checkpoints in Nangarhar province.
Two policemen were reported killed in the assault, while local officials said 60 militants were killed.
Title : Taliban seize part of Afghanistan's Kunduz city
Description : ...
