According to the TOLO news broadcaster, the Taliban started clashing with government troops at about 2 a.m. local time (21:30 GMT the previous day) on Tuesday in several districts and close to the National Directorate of Security department. The residents feared that the Taliban radical movement would gain control of the city if the government did not send more troops soon, the media outlet said.
According to a local hospital official, at least two people were killed and 16 more were injured, including Abdul Raziq Sherzad, the deputy police chief.
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In late April, the Taliban announced its annual 'spring offensive' and has conducted over 2,700 attacks around the country since then. The group rejected Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer to participate in parliamentary and local elections. The Taliban urged the Afghan nation to boycott the elections and said that the country was "occupied" by foreign forces.
Watch how #PakistanArmy and their assets, the Taliban go about with their business. 👇 pic.twitter.com/cjB78tlMlD
— Sajeda Akhtar (@Sajeda_Akhtar) May 11, 2018
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As to a report released May 1 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), about 39% of the country's territory with 65% of the country's population is controlled by the government, while the number of the police and military forces is declining.
*Taliban — a terrorist group, outlawed in numerous countries, including Russia
