Taliban storms strategic Afghan city
- by Kelli Lowe
- in Global Media
- — Aug 11, 2018
'We are scared for our life.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said parts of the city had been seized by the Taliban and many people were killed. "We are terrified", Yasan wrote in a Facebook post.
More than 1,000 Taliban fighters struck at night, shelling homes and destroying police checkpoints.
The Taliban claimed they had downed the "enemy" helicopter in Ghazni but Radmanish said it was not immediately clear if the helicopter had been hit or crash landed due to other reasons. He was anxious more wounded could be out there as the city was shut down and ambulances were not being sent out.
Taliban fighters hiding inside homes in the city's residential areas slipped into the streets attacking Afghan security forces, provincial police chief Farid Ahmad Mashal told The Associated Press.
Radmanish said at least 60 Taliban fighters were also killed in clashes at the base and elsewhere in the district.
The defence ministry in Kabul said the attackers had been beaten back but were still present in one area of the city and had occupied civilian houses, from where they were still keeping up occasional fire on security forces clearing the area.
Votel said he wants to look at minimizing vulnerabilities to Afghan forces, and especially wants to look at employment of high-end Afghan special operations forces and ensuring those forces are used correctly and not overused.
As the USA and Taliban explore the next round of direct talks, attacks like the one Friday on Ghazni are a reminder of the pressure faced by Afghanistan's security forces.
The attack on Ghazni comes as the Taliban faces growing pressure to agree to peace talks with the Afghan government to end the 17-year war.
The insurgents frequently exaggerate their battlefield gains and downplay losses incurred during fighting.
The attack on Ghazni, the first major urban assault since May, came as Afghan and US officials have been urging the Taliban to begin peace talks and agree to a second cease-fire after a successful three-day truce in June.
The Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country since North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the United States formally ended their combat mission in 2014, and have seized control of several districts. The Taliban have rebuffed offers of negotiations with the government but have held one preliminary round of direct talks with Alice Wells, Washington's top diplomat for South and Central Asia, including Afghanistan.
"Asian countries including China are continuing their efforts for peace talks in Afghanistan and we warmly welcome their efforts and hope that these efforts finaly bring the Taliban to the negotiation table", said deputy spokesman to CEO Abdullah Abdullah Omaid Maisam.
Secret talks were recently held in Qatar between Taliban and U.S. officials after an unprecedented three-day ceasefire during Eid celebrations in June that was largely respected by both sides.
A statement from United States military headquarters in Kabul said fighting had ceased this morning and Afghan forces had held their ground and maintained control of all government centres.
