Afghan Forces Prepare to Drive Taliban From Recently Captured Kunduz City

Afghan government forces on Tuesday gathered at an airport in the capital of the northern province of Kunduz for a counteroffensive against Taliban fighters who have captured parts of the city, media reported, citing local police.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Monday, the Taliban military movement launched an offensive on Kunduz, their former stronghold, capturing a number of government buildings and freeing hundreds of prison inmates, including Taliban fighters.

The Afghan government's operation to recapture the city is expected to start in the coming hours, the BBC reported, citing a police spokesman.

According to media and police reports, dozens of combatants and civilians were killed during the Taliban offensive on Kunduz.

Afghanistan has been plagued by an ongoing Taliban insurgency since the early 1990s. The militants are notorious for staging attacks against civilian and state targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan, seeking to establish sharia law in the territories under its control.

The Taliban military movement launched a large-scale offensive in Afghanistan in April, despite continuous attempts by the country’s authorities to resume peace talks. In May, the militants surrounded the city of Kunduz.