The Taliban issued a statement attributed to its new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour , in which he congratulated his fighters while telling the citizens of Kunduz that they had nothing to fear from the insurgents, according to a translation by the SITE monitoring service. But the militants reportedly looted jewelry stores, set fire to U. The setback in Kunduz also cast doubt on the wisdom of a U. Shusha was the key to the recent war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Now Baku wants to turn the fabled fortress town into a resort. By Dan De Luce. There are around , foreign troops in Afghanistan helping Afghan forces to fight a ten-year Taliban-led insurgency. Limited coalition combat troop withdrawals have started ahead of a deadline for them all to leave. There were at least 23 soldiers and three members of the local police force among those slain.
According to Ayubi, 12 troops were wounded in the Taliban onslaught, which lasted for over two hours until reinforcements arrived at the besieged base and the attackers were repelled. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement to the media saying the Taliban were behind the Kunduz attack, claiming the insurgents had overrun three police checkpoints as the attack unfolded. The checkpoint attack in Baghlan took place on Monday night and triggered a firefight that lasted for almost two hours, said Safder Mohsini, head of the provincial council.
Five policemen were also wounded and the Taliban seized all weapons and ammunition from the checkpoint before reinforcements arrived, he said.
Below, you can see a selection of photos documenting the last 15 years the US's war in Afghanistan. Eyewitnesses said they saw flashes and heard explosions over the Afghan capital of Kabul in the first phase of what the US has said will be a protracted and wide-ranging war against terrorism and the states that support it. The attack had been prepared since the September 11 suicide attacks on the US.
The US and Britain hit Afghanistan and key installations of the Taliban regime with cruise missiles Sunday night for harboring suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden. Many residents of Afghanistan seem unfazed by the bombing after living in war like conditions for more than 20 years.
The Pentagon said on Bs dropped heavy loads of bombs, a tactic known as carpet bombing, on Taliban troops north of Kabul as a result of improved targeting intelligence, partly from US special forces on the ground. There were some 4, US troops based in Afghanistan as part of the international war against terrorism.
The war in Afghanistan was the first time robots were used by the US military as tools for combat. Proponents of the robots believed sending them first into caves, buildings, or other dark areas will help prevent US casualties. Suspected enemy fighters were spotted taking ambush positions in the area a few weeks ago by US troops as they went on patrol as part of the ongoing war against terrorism.
A long-awaited UN-sponsored project to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate , soldiers across Afghanistan was under way in the north, a key step that was hoped would bring eventual peace to this war-torn country. The "New Beginnings Programme," which lets soldiers exchange their weapons for jobs, began in the northern province of Kunduz. A US military helicopter carrying up to 20 American troops crashed during an anti-guerrilla mission in eastern Afghanistan, US officials said.
The fate of those on board was not immediately known. Rumsfeld said a rapid withdrawal of US forces from Iraq or Afghanistan would spawn more terrorism in the region and raise the risk of attacks on the US.
Addressing US troops on the second day of a visit to Afghanistan, Rumsfeld said, "there are some in Washington who are questioning why our country is fighting this difficult war on terror half a world away. Taliban fighters hug each other on September A Taliban fighter stands guard on a vehicle in Kunduz on September Taliban prisoners walk down a street after they were released by Taliban fighters from the main jail in Kunduz on Monday, September The militants no longer held sway in the main cities but remained a deadly foe, clashing with foreign troops over Afghanistan's rugged terrain and launching frequent suicide attacks in population centers.
After 13 years and the deaths of thousands of its service members, the international coalition ended its combat mission last year, leaving Afghan forces at the forefront of the fight. The loss of Kunduz, even if the Afghan government manages to take it back soon, is an ominous sign.
It's Afghanistan's fifth largest city and the capital of the province of the same name. The U. NATO setting goals for Afghan progress But analysts have expressed concern about issues like corruption, poor recruitment and problematic coordination among the different branches of the Afghan security forces: the army, police and local militias.
The Taliban's intent to try to take Kunduz was well flagged, and yet Afghan forces were unable to hold the city despite outnumbering the attackers. It complicates the next move for the U. The fall of Kunduz comes at an awkward time for U. John Campbell, the top commander of U. Senate committee about the situation in Afghanistan next week. The recommendations range from keeping U. In a fresh indication of the Afghans' continued reliance on American backup, the U.
It shows the Taliban remain a force to be reckoned with. The militant group hasn't had the easiest year. ISIS has been reported to be eating into its recruitment efforts in Afghanistan, and internal divisions in the Taliban were laid bare after the admission that longtime leader Mullah Omar had died more than two years ago.
Leader of the Taliban is dead But despite initial questions over whether the group would fall apart, new leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour appears to have overcome the bumpy start and can now point to big blow against the Afghan government in Kunduz.
0コメント