Taliban ‘seize provincial HQ’ in Afghanistan

The Taliban say they have captured the provincial government headquarters in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, and are advancing on the airport.
Hundreds of militants stormed the strategic city before dawn and quickly seized key buildings.
The Taliban are also reported to have captured the city jail, freeing hundreds of prisoners.
The government says it has sent reinforcements to Kunduz and fighting is still going on.
The attack came a day before the first anniversary of President Ashraf Ghani’s unity government. If the city falls, it would be the first provincial capital taken by the Taliban since they lost power in the US-led invasion of 2001.
Kunduz is strategically important as it acts as a transport hub for the north of the country.
It also has symbolic significance for the Taliban as it was their former northern stronghold before their government was overthrown.
“With the capturing of the police compound and governor’s office in Kunduz, the whole province fell to our hands and our fighters are now advancing towards the airport,” Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said on his Twitter account.
A picture on the same account purportedly showed fighters at a roundabout in the city centre raising the Taliban’s white flag.
Earlier, the government admitted that it had lost control of parts of the city. It said at least 25 militants and two Afghan policemen had been killed and that reinforcements had been sent to the city.
Kunduz police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Husaini told the BBC’s Mahfouz Zubaide that militants had captured the jail in Kunduz and freed about 500 prisoners, including members of the Taliban.
Many government officials are trying to flee via the city’s heavily fortified airport.
Kunduz province has seen a number of attacks since April, with the Taliban joining forces with other insurgents.
Militant violence has increased across Afghanistan since the departure of most US and Nato forces last year.