On Thursday, fear gripped Kunduz as people braced for a long siege, with Afghan forces patrolling the streets and the Taliban encircling the northern city.
The Taliban had briefly ruled the city twice in recent years, but have since taken control of the neighboring regions and the main Tajikistan border crossing.
Qudratullah, a fruit vendor who has done little business since fighting erupted in Kunduz province two weeks ago, said, “The Taliban have besieged our city.”
“Even today there is sporadic fighting on the outskirts of the city,” said Qudratullah, who like many Afghans uses only one name.
“If the government does not launch an operation against the Taliban, their siege will continue for a long time.” Most businesses in Kunduz remained shut and vehicles stayed off the roads this week.
Hundreds of military vehicles patrol the streets as the Afghan army deploys new battalions in the 300,000-strong city, which has been boosted by an influx of rural inhabitants escaping district violence.
On the eastern outskirts of Kunduz, troops were seen firing sporadically at Taliban positions, and the bodies of two militants were on the ground.
According to the city’s public health director, 21 people have been killed and 225 injured since the conflict began a week ago.
Water and electricity outages were reported by residents, and only a few stores were operating.Kunduz resident Hasib said he feared the Taliban would soon launch a major offensive on the city.
“We don’t feel safe… We have seen the Taliban capture the city twice before, and we do not want the city to fall again to them,” he said.
“The government forces should break the Taliban siege, if not the Taliban will continue their offensives… and their siege will continue forever.”For days, fighting has raged across the Kunduz region, with the Taliban and Afghan forces fighting each other.
In one of their most major advances in recent months, terrorists stormed Shir Khan Bandar, Afghanistan’s primary border crossing with Tajikistan, on Tuesday.
Afghan officials attempted to put on a brave face on Thursday, flying in Interior Minister Abdul Satar Mirzakwal for a brief visit.
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