KUNDUZ CITY - Kunduz city on Monday morning was under siege after Taliban insurgents increased attacks from four different directions.
According to TOLOnews journalists in the area, people inside the city are cut off and cannot leave the area.
However, the Ministry of Interior's spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi said the insurgents had carried out attacks from three directions.
Hamid Shirzai, TOLOnews' reporter, who is currently stationed in bordering Baghlan province, as he is unable to get in to Kunduz, said insurgents launched major attacks on the outskirts of the city at about 3am local time Monday.
By midday Monday heavy clashes were still ongoing, Shirzai said.
Sediqqi confirmed that heavy clashes were underway and said hundreds of families have fled the areas, including Khanabad and Aliabad districts, which are close to the city.
He assured the people however, that enough troops were deployed inside Kunduz city and said it would not fall to the Taliban.
He said: "U.S troops also launched air operations on Sunday night in Anwar Tepa village of Aliabad districts in which four insurgents were killed and two others were injured."
"The air forces also bombed Koch-e-Qazaq and Marzaq villages of Aliabad in which 22 insurgents were killed. Among those dead are Qari Nasir and Qari Omar, two Taliban commanders," he added.
Tariq Majidi, another TOLOnews reporter who is also close to Kunduz city, said reports indicate that Taliban insurgents have again blown up the remaining 300-meter Alchin Bridge which connects Kunduz city with Imam Sahib and Dasht-e-Archi districts as well as with the Sher Khan Port.
The insurgents blew up one section of the bridge on Saturday.
Majidi said the Taliban detonated explosives on the bridge to prevent reinforcement troops from entering the besieged area.
He also said that local residents are trapped on the battle fields as highways out of the area have been cut off by insurgents.
The Taliban increased their attacks on Saturday when they stormed Khanabad and took control of the district for a few hours early in the day. However security forces regained control later in the day once reinforcements arrived.
On Sunday, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Gen. Murad Ali Murad, who is leading operations in Kunduz against the Taliban, said that eliminating and suppressing the insurgent group in the province is their top priority.
He said operations in Kunduz have been launched on a number of fronts.
But local security officials said early Monday, on condition of anonymity, that "so far there is no plan for the Kunduz war and security forces are still in a defensive role."
Meanwhile, on Sunday numerous soldiers said the lack of coordination between security forces was the main reason for Khanabad falling to the Taliban.
According to them, they have been fighting Taliban for days – with no coordination among themselves.
The soldiers blasted government for not providing them with enough ammunition and food and said the lack of coordination among the different security branches was the reason for the growing problem.
On Sunday, the Defense Minister, Abdullah Khan Habibi also visited Kunduz and said a large-scale operation would soon be launched in the province.(Tolonews)