Image caption Governor Asadullah Amarkhil (centre) urged people to carry on with their normal lives

The governor of Afghanistan's Kunduz province says Taliban forces which staged an assault on the provincial capital have been defeated.

Asadullah Amarkhil said fighting in Kunduz city had stopped, and there were large numbers of Taliban casualties.

On Monday, Taliban fighters appeared to have breached the strategic northern city.

The fighting came a day before a major conference in Brussels to raise funds to ensure Afghan stability.

Kunduz was briefly captured by the Taliban in September 2015 in what was a major victory.

After days of back-and-forth fighting, government forces, backed by Nato, recaptured the city.

Residents said people were fleeing the city if they could, after the latest fighting.

"There have been many casualties, both civilian and military. There hasbeen fighting in the streets. People are very worried. They have lost hope in the government. It is the second time," one man, Massoud, told the BBC Afghan service.

Another man, Mubarak Shah, said: "There is no electricity. People are struggling to find water and food. Shops which sell food are only open in the suburbs of the city where the government is in control."

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Army units never lost control of key buildings, officials say

Special forces

Taliban militants entered Kunduz early on Monday and seized some central areas.

Its spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Twitter that it was a "massive operation". The Taliban later said they had seized the roundabout and several checkpoints, but did not claim to have captured the city.

But by late on Monday, Nato