Taliban push into provincial capital in southern Afghanistan
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 8 September 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Taliban push into provincial capital in southern Afghanistan, 8 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189d532a.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Last Updated: September 08, 2016
Afghan officials say Taliban militants have pushed into the capital of the southern province of Uruzgan.
All checkpoints around Tarin Kowt were overrun or destroyed early on September 8, provincial spokesman Doost Mohammad Nayab said, adding that security forces were in control only of the city's police headquarters.
Top provincial leaders have retreated to the city's airport, which houses an Afghan military base, according to an unidentified police official.
However, provincial police chief Mohamad Wais Samimi later said the Taliban had been repelled from Tarin Kowt.
"All parts of the city and all districts are in our hands," he said.
The offensive in Uruzgan Province come as overstretched Afghan security forces and a U.S.-led military mission has been focused on confronting Taliban attacks in the nearby province of Helmand and the northern city of Kunduz.
Government forces also are battling Islamic State militants in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
